Virus and Ice
by ElementalL'Cie
Summary: Captains Byakuya Kuchiki and Toshiro Hitsugaya have been sent to New York to investigate a strange outbreak. They are to blend in and uncover the secret behind the virus while avoiding suspicion. But when Captain Hitsugaya goes missing, will the mission be deemed too dangerous to continue? Rated M for future violence and foul language.
1. Mission Debrief

**This is just something i thought up a while back and have been working on. If you're interested, leave a review and i'll maybe get a second chapter up. Not really sure though, but i do need feedback!**_  
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_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

_"I trust you understand the mission?_" The Head Captain demanded.

Sitting upon his throne like chair, the Head Captain held an air of demand. The aged Soul Reaper was bald, save for the long white beard held neatly in place by purple ribbon. He wore the white Captain haori over the Soul Reaper garb. His age was only shown by the wrinkles across his face and the large staff he used to help him walk. Even then, the staff simply hid his zanpaktou, his weapon.

Across from him stood two Captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. One stood proudly, a noble, and wore a modified Captain haori that had gold lining and a collar with gold tassels on the corners. In his long black hair were white hair pieces, somewhat matching his steel gray eyes. Next to him was a shorter Captain with spiked white hair and cold teal eyes. Though he seemed a child, the stance he held was that of a wise man, even rivaling the Captain next to him. His sword was a too big for him to carry at the waist, so he had it strapped to his back by a star clasped chain, a green scarf around his neck.

"_Yes, Head Captain._" They replied at the same time with ease.

"_And remember; only your Lieutenants are to know of this mission, as they will be filling in for you until your return. And do not, under any circumstances, tell anyone who you are._"

Captains Byakuya Kuchiki and Toshiro Hitsugaya nodded in understanding before using Flash Step out of the barracks and to their own. Toshiro was met upon arrival by his Lieutenant, a curvaceous woman with light blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair, a pink scarf wrapped around her arms and her badge strapped to the tie at her waist.

"_There you are Captain!_" She said happily, attempting to suffocate the tiny Captain in a tight hug, but was pushed back quickly before she could. "_So, what did the Head Captain want, making you run off like that?_"

"_Inside, Rangiku. This is not a discussion for anyone else._" The white haired Captain snapped back at her.

"_Oh, okay._" The woman quickly realized the seriousness of the situation and followed her Captain inside without another word.

Toshiro led her to his office, locking the doors tight and reaching out with his icy Spiritual Pressure to see if any of his subordinates were roaming around. They were either lounging in their quarters or off on missions, so he had secrecy for the time being.

"_What is it Captain?_" Rangiku questioned, sitting patiently in one of the office couches.

_"It appears Captain Kuchiki and I will be going to another area in the World of the Living._" He began, sitting across from her on another couch.

"_Another area?_"

"_Yes, an area halfway across the world known as America. Normally we don't go there, as we're mainly a Japanese based society, but the Head Captain has deemed it necessary for us to go there._"

"_Do you even know English? I don't know anyone here who does._"

"_No, but that problem will be fixed by Kisuke. Byakuya and I are to visit him first before we go to America, as he will have special Gigais made and has recently made an item that will allow us to speak and understand English. We will most likely be there a few days; the situation there is still an unknown._" He paused, turning an icier gaze to his Lieutenant. "_That means you need to lay off the sake and actually DO your paperwork._"

Toshiro's voice had risen at the last bit and the room temperature dropped a few degrees, but Rangiku Matsumoto simply grinned.

"_Oh don't worry, Captain! I'll get it all done, don't you worry!_"

"_The fact that you said it twice makes me worry more._" His eyebrow twitched in annoyance. With a deep breath he calmed himself and stood. "_I will be leaving with Byakuya tomorrow, so be prepared to actually get some work done._" With that, he left.

Completely missing the last sentence, the Lieutenant was wondering how to get a little work done while going out to party with her fellow Lieutenants Shuhei Hisagi and Izuru Kira.

In the Squad Six barracks, Byakuya had just given his Lieutenant, Renji Abarai, the same rundown and was already preparing himself to leave so he could be ahead of schedule. It would shame the family to be late for such an important mission. His younger sister Rukia had stopped by, but he had refused to tell her where he was going, as per the Head Captain's orders. The eldest Kuchiki sibling hated seeing Rukia so upset, but orders were orders and he had to follow them.

Going through his thoughts, he was actually surprised that the Head Captain wasn't including Mayuri Kurotsuchi in on this, the face painted, half mad scientist and Captain of Squad Twelve. With so much unknown about the state this area, which had been called Manhattan Island, was in, one would think he'd be included in for research. Then again, at least he wouldn't be arguing with him over trifle things. That man just did not understand how a noble did things.

"_Are you sure it's such a good idea to go all the way to America?_" His Lieutenant had asked him when briefed on the mission and its secrecy. The Lieutenant had thin brown eyes and crazy red hair that looked like a pineapple the way it was tied up. There was a band over the tattoos above his eyes, bands on his lower arms as well over his bandages.

"_There will be two Captains going, Renji, I'm sure we'll be fine._" Byakuya had replied, sighing. "_Or do you doubt the power of your Captain and the Squad Ten Captain?_"

"_Of course not! After all, Captain Kuchiki is very strong and Captain Hitsugaya is a prodigy._"

"_Then why doubt the orders given by the Head Captain?_"

_"It's just, well._" He scratched the back of his neck nervously. _"No Soul Reaper has ever been to America before; we don't know what it's like. Why are two Captains being sent in the first place?_"

"_There has recently been a massive rise in corrupted Spiritual Pressure, similar to that of Hollows, yet not Hollows. The Head Captain wants to know if the Hollows are moving on to other countries and evolving._"

_"I see… Well, guess I'll get a head start on some sleep so I'm ready for tomorrow._" Renji gave his Captain a small bow and left the Kuchiki mansion. The noble had a sneaking suspicion he would soon be assaulted by his sister and forced to spill information about the mission. Perhaps he should have given the man less so Rukia wouldn't be able to learn what was going on.

Well, it was too late now, and he had a long mission to prepare for. Once he had packed, he went to rest for the night.


	2. Preparation

**Almost forgot, this is set after the whole Fullbring thing in Bleach and during the first Prototype. I have yet to play the second. I don't own either game or anime and i apologize if anybody is OOC. Please Review!**

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

Toshiro was rushing over there, Rangiku carrying part of his luggage to help. The Kuchiki mansion was right next to the Squad Six barracks practically, but it was still quite a ways away from the Squad Ten barracks. As such, the young Captain had woken up early so he could get to the mansion in time so the noble Kuchiki brother wouldn't have anything to say against him on the matter.

Luckily he made it on time, if not a little breathless, and Byakuya simply gave him a small glare. They didn't really like each other, but they didn't hate each other enough to make a fuss over small things like they did with Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

_"Good, we're all here._" He said simply, nodding to two of his guards that were carrying his things. For a moment, Toshiro envied him, wondering if he could get his own. He was thankful for Rangiku's help though, and kept quiet. No reason to upset her.

Another set of guards opened the Kuchiki gate and the Captains stepped through, followed by Rangiku and the two guards with their luggage. The trip was surprisingly short compared to the usual travels, and they made it out into the dusty yard that belonged to Kisuke without any problem.

"_Ah, there you are!_" Spoke a blonde haired man with a white and green striped hat and a black coat over his green uniform. A fan was held in front of his devious smile. "_Such good timing the two of you have. You can put your things inside for now. We'll discuss further details over tea._"

Byakuya just whisked inside without another word while Toshiro at least gave a respectful nod and followed, along with Rangiku and the guards.

"_Well,_" Rangiku stretched her sore arms, still looking a little sleepy, after setting her Captain's luggage down inside, "_guess I'll be going then. Good luck with the mission, Captain!_"

The Senkaimon was thankfully still open, and she ran back through it quickly, followed moments later by Byakuya's guards.

"_Let's hope she actually does her paperwork._" Toshiro even went as far as to put his hands together for a brief moment like he was praying. Byakuya smirked ever so slightly and Kisuke hid a big smile behind his fan.

"_Now, while I can't ensure your Lieutenant's behavior, I can give you a run down about your new Gigais and the current situation in America that we know about._"

This caught the Captains' attention quickly and got the white haired Captain's mind off of the inevitable mountain of paperwork he was going to get when he got back. Tea was brought as they sat around the table in Kisuke's back room. There, the shop keeper began his explanation, starting with the Gigais.

"_Now, these Gigais will mask your Spiritual Pressure, but not completely suppress it. You will be able to use Flash Step to a certain extent and some kido, though I don't suggest using it too much or any of the higher spells. There are also Gigais for your zanpaktou as well, so you can still defend yourselves without having to show yourself in Soul Reaper form._"

"_If you're allowing us so much use of our abilities, then the situation is dire._" Byakuya pointed out.

_"Indeed it is._" Kisuke took on an air of seriousness as he spoke, knowing the Captains wouldn't believe him otherwise. "_Luckily, the infection has not spread to the continent and is trapped on a small island._"

"_Infection?_" Toshiro spoke up, setting his cup down to listen.

"_That's what this seems to be. They're almost like zombies, except they are controlled by a queen of sorts. Some of them evolve into terrible creatures. The American military is doing their best to get rid of it, but it only seems to spread farther. With thousands of people on that island, there is no shortage of infectees._"

"_What is our part in this fight?_" Byakuya asked.

_"Ah, see. That I'm not sure of. When I looked into it, the military isn't all that stable either. Obviously we can't ally ourselves with the infected, as that would be like allying with Hollows that want to kill us, but the military is perfectly fine with setting off a nuclear explosive to completely destroy the island and the virus with it._"

"_But, the people-_" Toshiro began.

"_Yes, I know, that is why I don't see allying with the military as a good idea either. Hundreds of souls are being trapped there by the virus, unable to flee their now undead bodies. Destroying the place would only create an island of souls, and soon, an island of Hollows. We can't let that happen._"

"_Understood._"

"_Well, with that out of the way, let's get the two of you into your Gigais and on your way. There's a hotel that's been left untouched by the virus for now, which is where you'll be staying. Tessai and I have already been there to set up a protection around it so it won't be infected in the near future. The further the virus spreads, the more is corrupted by it._"

"_These beings are wasps, spreading out to claim more territory for their hives._" Byakuya scowled.

"_Exactly. To get rid of these wasps, you'll need to find their queen and cut them off from her. It won't be easy._"

"_That is why the Head Captain sent two Captains for this mission._"

Kisuke gave a small nod and stood quickly. Their Gigais were in another room further back, lying motionless on the ground. It seemed so strange, having a motionless copy of yourself seemingly dead before your eyes. Toshiro's was in a black t-shirt and blue jeans, a teal colored jacket over top. Byakuya's didn't have the hair pieces and was wearing a black business suit. Next to them were exact copies of their zanpaktou, which were the first thing they grabbed. Both respective zanpaktou grumbled at having to be put in a Gigai, but agreed it was the only way they could be used while their Soul Reapers were in Gigai.

"_There aren't such things as nobles in America, so the closest thing to it is a government agent._" Kisuke explained at Byakuya's questioning eyebrow raise. "_I have the papers filled out and there is a badge in the front pocket. It should get you past all the military checkpoints they have set up there. Captain Hitsugaya, you'll be going as Captain Kuchiki's nephew. The two of you have been appointed to Manhattan Island only recently due to the dire situation and need to be informed. That should help you get information._"

Toshiro hid his twitch at having to be a younger relative of Byakuya. At least he hadn't said son, because there was no way to get away with that one.

"_They'll question why Captain Kuchiki is bringing his,_" Toshiro knew he would regret this, "_'nephew' to such a dangerous place, Kisuke._"

"_Solved that too! You're an agent in training and have been assigned with your 'uncle' to the island. After all, you're still considered a prodigy. The papers will tell them that you've already been through school with top marks, which is true, and have been hired by the government at an early age with a recommendation from your 'uncle'._"

"_I see. If that's all then._" He stepped over to his Gigai. While they'd been talking, Byakuya was already in his own Gigai and was examining the badge Kisuke had set up for him. Though it was written in English, he understood it perfectly and was proceeding to memorize it in case he ever needed to use it.

"_Urahara, why is it I can read this?_" He questioned, still reading over everything on the badge and the identification card that was with it.

"_Ah, right. If you'll look at your right wrist, there is a thin bracelet there that I have recently invented. It allows you to speak and understand English in those situations where you need to._"

Both Captains looked at the thin silver bracelet he had mentioned, checking to make sure they would never lose it. They didn't have time to learn English with the situation at hand quickly reaching critical.

"_Very well, we should go. Is your gate ready?_" Byakuya turned to see his belongings were being carried by the tall and muscular Tessai, a man with a thick black mustache and thick glasses, a blue apron over his clothes. Toshiro's were being split between the kids, Ururu and Jinta. The Captains nodded gratefully to them.

"_Yes, this way._"

Lifting the trap door, Kisuke led them down to the spacious underground training area where the home-made Senkaimon was waiting for them. Tessai, Ururu and Jinta were to follow through, drop off the luggage, and leave quickly before the gate closed. They would be gating directly into the room where the two Captains were staying.

"_Good luck! If you need any assistance with something, just send a Hell Butterfly!_" Kisuke called, opening the gate.

Once the light inside the gate revealed the Precipice World inside, the five people ran through.


	3. Gathering Intel

_**Thanks to those who are reading this. IT's really appreciated. Please don't forget to Review!**  
_

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

It didn't take long for Toshiro and Byakuya to get settled in to the large hotel room. They had been able to rent the biggest room, allowing them plenty of space that was like a single floor home, complete with two separate rooms for the Captains, allowing them privacy.

"_This kind of peace can only last for so long._" Toshiro sighed, looking through the thick glass windows that served as walls for part of the room.

"_That is why we are here._" Byakuya replied, coming to stand beside him.

Their eyes scanned the island they had come to that was now the home of a terrible virus. It was a small part of a state known as New York, which they had been told in a report. The area they rested in was still free from the virus and protected on several sides by the military with a checkpoint here and there. But on the horizon, within seeing distance, the city was covered in tendrils of flesh like substance and crawling with infected humans. Gunshots could be heard as the military did their best to thin the number of infected and screams as people ran to safety. Sometimes they were shot too, simply because they had a little blood on them.

"_We should try to speak only in English from now on, to avoid too much suspicion._" Toshiro turned his eyes away, unable to look at the torture any longer. "_The report says that they'll know we're from Japan but have been here for some time now. It would be wise to speak mainly English._"

"_Agreed._" Byakuya narrowed his eyes at the sight of the infected city before also turning away. They would have to go there tomorrow with the military to learn more about it.

"We have the rest of the day to learn as much as we can." Toshiro spoke up again, now speaking fluent English. "Maybe we should go and learn our way around."

"I'm going to one of the military checkpoints. I'll arrange for them to take us to the infected part of the city tomorrow."

"Understood."

Now with a goal for the day, both Captains left their makeshift home and parted ways. Byakuya put a nervous hand on his zanpaktou, Senbonsakura, as he made his way to the military. He didn't know about Americans, and was worried how they would react. Would they realize he was nobility and blow his cover, or would they act like the unruly grunts he'd sometimes see around Soul Society? Either way, he had to tread carefully.

Strapped on Toshiro's back, Hyorinmaru gave a nervous rumble, unhappy with the infected air surrounding his Soul Reaper. People gave him curious looks for both the sword and his hair. Occasionally, some kind of gang member would snicker at him and tease him, calling him kid. Then they would walk away, rubbing their arms and wondering why it suddenly got so cold. Occasionally, the tiny Captain lost a bit of his temper and put a hand on his sword, effectively sending the gangs packing.

"_If it wasn't absolutely necessary to stay undercover I'd have iced them over along with half the street!_" He cursed under his breath in Japanese, where people cast him odd looks. Still unhappy, he shot them icy glares and they hurried off.

'_**Calm, Toshiro.**_' Hyorinmaru rumbled. '_**Your Spiritual Pressure is masked, not suppressed. You've probably already given several people colds, and it is midsummer!**_'

Toshiro sighed and calmed himself.

Sadly, he was passed up by another gang, a member that had bleached his hair into a light blonde coming to confront him.

"Look at this kid, yo." He snickered. "Thinks he can pass as one of us, does he?"

His companions all laughed, looking down at the small white haired Captain. None noticed the twitch in his eye but they did notice the sudden drop in temperature.

"Hey, kid. What you think you're doing in our part of town bleaching your hair, eh?" The leader sneered.

"Avoiding prats like you." Toshiro growled. "Now move aside. Unlike you I actually have work to do and you are in my way." He made to step through him but one of the gang members made to grab his arm.

Ice formed on his fingertips as they came closer to the 'kid' and he pulled his hand back with a curse.

"The fuck?!" He yelled. "How did he…?"

Realizing his Spiritual Pressure had escaped and caused the ice, Toshiro bolted. He couldn't be caught now, and getting in a fight would only make it worse. Seeing the fleeing Captain, the gang members cursed and gave chase. Thankfully the buildings were close together with tons of interweaving alleyways and he slipped into one before using Flash Step to get on top of the buildings.

Down in the alley, the members were once again cursing and shouting out for him, searching all the hiding places for him. He watched them with an icy glare, cursing them back for forcing him to run like that. For good measure, he sent a wave of his Spiritual Pressure towards them, giving them a good chill that would surely give them a nasty cold, if not the flu. Satisfied they would pay for their behavior he Flash Stepped some ways away before going back down in an alley and returning to the streets. He hoped Byakuya fared better.

The noble had not stepped two feet towards the entrance when a set of soldiers halted him in his tracks with their guns armed.

"This place is for military personal only! Step away!" Commanded who seemed to be the current leading officer of the area.

Byakuya ran his speech through his head once more before reaching for the badge in his pocket. Fingers pressed closer on their triggers as he made the move, relaxing when they realized it wasn't a weapon, though they eyed his sword warily.

"I am a federal agent from Japan, Byakuya Kuchiki. Your president has asked me to come here to asses the current situation." He told them, holding the badge for him to see and speaking with ease. He'd gone over that little speech several times in the past hour.

"Federal agent, eh?" He nodded to his soldiers to lower their weapons slightly. "Let me see that."

The badge switched hands and the officer looked over his ID. Most of it was faked, but Kisuke did a thorough job and there was no way to realize it was fake unless they scanned it over.

"Alright, Mr. Kuchiki." The officer handed back the badge, calling off his men. "Follow me and I'll catch you up. It's about time we got an agent here."

The base was loaded with armed men, large metal machines he'd been warned were tanks, and sensors around the base that alerted them to the presence of any infected personnel. Inside was even worse, with twice as many men and various machine weaponry stationed inside. Byakuya was led to a smaller room further in where a table surrounded by chairs awaited them. He absent mindedly wondered how Toshiro was doing and whether he'd kept his temper in check. The last thing he needed was trying to explain why there was a glacier in New York midsummer.

"Alright, so here's the wrapped up version of it." Byakuya took a seat as the officer pointed out a map of the area, large red circles showing what was infected and blue showing what was secured by the military. "We've got infection spreading at a rapid rate around the island. The virus is known as the Blacklight Virus and is extremely infectious. We're working on a way to counter the Virus with a sort of gas that is deadly to those infected, but completely harmless to humans. In fact, we're breathing it right now."

That caught Byakuya off guard. So, the gas was definitely harmless to humans, and Soul Reapers. He wondered just how deadly it was to those infected.

"Anyway, these infected have a way of creating hives. They'll take certain buildings and form large boils on them where the virus comes out in fumes and turns anyone in the area into its slaves. Take out the hive, and all those infected in the area die with it.

"There's also an evolved version of these infected we call Hunters." He put up a picture of a highly deformed monster with huge muscles and rows of razor sharp teeth. "They're very hard to kill and can heal themselves. The only way to keep them dead is by snapping their spine in several places."

Byakuya nodded. Some Hollows were that way as well, but that wasn't a problem Senbonsakura couldn't solve. And Toshiro's Hyorinmaru could freeze them in place before breaking them completely. Yes, they would be no problem.

"We have reason to believe they're being controlled from the shadows by this woman, Elizabeth Greene." A picture of a pale woman with wispy red hair and a skin tight body suit covered in blood. It was her eyes that told Byakuya she wasn't human, black eyes filled with the desire to consume all. Hollow eyes. "But we have no way of finding her. Our only lead is a man known as Zeus."

"Zeus?" Byakuya's first question.

"Yes. Possibly the most dangerous carrier of the virus. He can control it to change his body at will and can completely change his appearance as well to those that he consumes. He consumes people by killing them and then absorbing them completely. There is no killing that man, we've tried."

The noble held back a sneer. He was sure he could destroy this Zeus with a single strike of his thousand swords.

"Well, that's all we've got so far. If there's anything you need, head to any of the military bases around here. I'll radio in to the others and let them know who you are."

"Thank you." Byakuya stood and left the room, walking through the base and back outside. "Now, to find my 'nephew'."


	4. Enter Mercer

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

"_Hell Butterfly" _"Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

Toshiro had found very little in the way of information. For the most part people didn't want to talk to him, thinking him some kind of elementary school delinquent. The information he did get from the occasional kind person simply led him back to the military bases. He couldn't risk going in unless Byakuya was with him, otherwise they wouldn't believe him.

He had learned that the virus had yet to spread to this area thanks to the efforts of the military, but they'd been warned about a man who could change his form and hide among them. The tiny Captain kept his Spiritual Pressure searching around him for any sign of infected, hoping to steer clear of them. He wasn't sure Soul Reapers were immune to it.

"_Blacklight Virus._" Toshiro muttered in Japanese. "_That guy was more helpful than the others at least._"

'_**I've found traces of the virus in the air. Turns out your lower body temperature, due to having an ice type zanpaktou, keeps it out. It can't survive with you as a host**._' Hyorinmaru spoke up.

"_That's good to know._" He sighed, trying to make it look like he was discussing something with himself. The fact that he was speaking Japanese helped it along. People left him alone.

Deciding that was all he was going to get, he turned to go back to his hotel room. He wondered if his 'uncle' was already there. It was hard, keeping up the profile of a kid. He hated being called a child above all else.

He was two blocks from the hotel when his Spiritual Pressure caught onto a high concentration of the Blacklight Virus. Being careful not to look like he'd noticed, he turned towards the source. It was a normal looking man, seeming like he was coming home from work. But no normal human had that high of a virus concentration in them. Against his better judgment, he went to follow him as the man stepped into an alley.

The buildings hid him from sight so he Flash Stepped onto a balcony a little further up. Teal eyes followed him closely.

The man stopped, looking around for anyone. Toshiro hid behind a pillar. Before his eyes, the man changed form into a man in his late twenties with a black leather jacket, gray hood over his head and shadowing his face. His jeans were tattered and loose.

This was the shape-shifter the people had been told to look out for. He really could hide undercover. Toshiro only found him because of the immense Spiritual Pressure coming from the virus in his body. Just who was this man?

'_**Perhaps you should confront him.**_' Hyorinmaru suggested.

'_Not now, not without Byakuya. If even the military feels the need to warn others about him, he's dangerous._'

'_**Surely he can't be all that strong, if he hides away behind others.**_'

'_I guess I'll take my chances._' With Toshiro's resolve his zanpaktou rumbled happily, anticipating a fight.

"You there!" He called out, jumping down from the balcony as the man whirled around to face him. Eyes hidden by his hood scanned him to see if he was a threat, both by his looks and by way of searching him for any sign of infection. There was no virus in him, but he did note the young man's lower body temperature.

"Who are you?" He questioned.

"That's what I'm asking you." Toshiro shot back. He tensed when the man's eyes travelled to his sword.

"I don't have to answer to a kid."

An eyebrow twitched and the temperature dropped some.

"You misunderstand me." Keeping his temper calm, he reached back for his sword. "I know you are not human, I can sense the virus inside you, a mass amount of it. I saw you transform."

"You…you can sense the virus?"

"Yes. I am no ordinary 'kid'." He spat out the last word. "So answer my questions and it won't come to a fight." He ignored his zanpaktou's protest against a fight.

"And why should I trust you? You could work for the military for all I know!"

Toshiro chose not to answer that, his grip tightening on Hyorinmaru's hilt.

"They are trying to kill me, but they don't understand." The man was growling, crouched over and fighting to keep his own temper in check. "I know what I am, but not who. There are…there are too many thoughts in my head. They aren't mine!"

Blinking, Toshiro remembered Kisuke mentioning these infected creatures consumed others to gain power and energy, like a Hollow. Could this man have done the same, against his will?

"And since I'm not one of them, the virus attacks me too. I don't belong on either side."

Toshiro narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not sure I understand, but I'll leave it at that for now." He released the hilt of his sword, much to Hyorinmaru's displeasure. "I'll meet you back here tomorrow, same time. I need to return but there are things I want to discuss."

"Uh…"

Without another word the tiny Captain turned and made his way outside of the alley.

"Wait!" The man gave a burst of speed, using some kind of ability to shift his muscles, allowing him to leap to his side in a second. "I need a name."

There was a moment of silence where Toshiro debated on telling him his name.

"Toshiro Hitsugaya." He gave a curt nod, and then waited for the man's name.

"Right. I'm Alex Mercer."

* * *

**It's a lot shorter than the others, but now Alex has made his appearance! It was a good place to stop, so I cut it short. Apologies! Don't forget to Review!**


	5. Planning Ahead

_**I'm surprised how many views I've gotten with just a few chapters. Thanks! Please keep reviewing and i'll do my best to keep posting!**  
_

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

"_Hell Butterfly" _"Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

Hitsugaya was already in the room when Byakuya returned from his military base run. After the first one, he'd gone to another to get them a ride to the infected area closest to them, where they would be allowed to examine the area with an armed guard. It would allow them some decent protection, seeing how they were limited in their Gigais.

"Found anything?" The noble asked his white haired companion.

"Not much, probably the same thing you did." He replied. The Captain was in a meditative pose, having been speaking with Hyorinmaru in his inner world.

"I see. Uneventful for a first day."

"_So what all did you learn in the military base?_" He'd switched to Japanese in case anyone came by and overheard them.

"_The virus is called the Blacklight Virus, and it is highly contagious. It can spread even into inanimate objects like the buildings. As we suspected, it's run from behind by a queen, a woman known as Elizabeth Greene that has been completely infested by the virus. She spread it out, turning buildings into hives to control certain areas. Destroy the hive, and the infected in that area die off._"

"_I see. Anything else?_"

"_There is apparently a rogue man that is similar to Elizabeth, but he operates alone. He can control the virus to shift his body at will and is extremely dangerous._"

Toshiro whipped around to face the noble just as Byakuya sat down while he spoke. The sudden reaction perked his interest, so he decided to question his partner.

_"I take it you know something about this man?_" The tone was demanding, even though he was speaking to a fellow Captain.

_"I…yes, I do._" Berating himself for such a violent reaction to what Byakuya had said, Toshiro calmed himself and sat down on another chair opposite the Squad Six Captain. _"I found him._"

An eyebrow raised in question at that. Hitsugaya forced himself to continue.

"_I'm not sure what the military told you about him, but I did manage to catch him in an alley. From the Spiritual Pressure he was giving off, the virus was highly concentrated inside of him, so I can see why he would be deemed dangerous. However, he seemed confused as to who he was_."

"_Confused?_"

"_Yes. He wouldn't answer my questions, saying how I was with the military and they were trying to kill him. He also said something about…about knowing what he is, but not who._"

"_Did he give a name? The military know him as Zeus._"

"_Alex Mercer._"

"_Hm. We'll need to look into this when we can. What else did he say, or was that all?_"

"_…ah, he did mention how the virus will attack him also._"

"_What?_" Byakuya looked at the tiny Captain with a confused expression. "_Doesn't he have a high concentration of the virus within him?_"

"_Yes, but he controls it, it doesn't control him. Like it does with the others. I'm guessing this Elizabeth Greene character doesn't like that and wants him dead just as much as the military does._"

"_So he doesn't belong on either side. Perhaps we could use that to our advantage._"

At the tone of voice, Toshiro raised a white eyebrow.

"_What are you planning, Byakuya?_"

"_Nothing for now. I need to think over this._" The noble Captain stood and walked to his room, leaving his partner to glare silently at him. "_Oh, and I secured us a ride to the infected area we saw. We need to be at the base tomorrow by nine o'clock._"

Silence held as Toshiro simply nodded, still glaring, and turned to look out the window. Byakuya stepped inside his room and shut the door, taking out Senbonsakura and setting him across his lap as he sat on the bed. It was harder while their swords were in Gigais as well as them, but he managed to establish a connection and speak with his zanpaktou.

'_**What are you planning, Byakuya Kuchiki?**'_ His zanpaktou questioned in the same words as Toshiro.

_'If Captain Hitsugaya is to be believed and this 'Alex Mercer' character is the same man the military officer spoke of, there is a chance we can convince him to come to the Soul Society._'

'_**Why on Earth would you want to do that?**'_

_'If Captain Kurotsuchi can examine the virus and create an anti-virus, we can eliminate it here quickly before drastic measures are taken and possibly restore those who were lost to it. Once done, we can send all the souls lost to Soul Society._'

'**_And if it succeeds, there won't be as many. Good idea, but will Kurotsuchi be able to make an anti-virus in time? And will Alex Mercer even be willing to go?_'**

'_Perhaps not, but it is worth a try. The more humans we can keep from becoming Hollows the better._'

'_**True. Though, there is the possibility there is no anti-virus and it will just spread to the Soul Society. Something like that mixed with Soul Reapers probably would not be good.**_'

He sighed, admitting to himself that Senbonsakura was right. It was too big a risk that bringing such a high concentration of the Blacklight Virus into Soul Society could simply spread the virus there.

'_Can we even be infected by it, being spirits?_' He asked his zanpaktou.

'_**I'm not sure. Since you went mainly around the military bases, there wasn't much of the virus in the air around you. What little there was I could easily brush off if it tried to attach. I don't know how well that will work in an area thick with it.**_'

'_I'll have to check on Hitsugaya later and see how he fares. He went into areas more populated by those who were infected._'

'_**It might be that Hyorinmaru doesn't need to do anything, as having an ice type zanpaktou kills it the moment it enters his body.**_'

'_That would make sense. He's always had a lower body temperature than others due to Hyorinmaru being an ice type. It could be that the virus simply can't survive inside him._'

'_**I'm sure you will need me in that zone tomorrow. Those guns can only do so much.**_'

'_Yes but without using my abilities how much can we do? Having an armed guard also means we're sitting ducks as well._'

'**_Hm…This may be something to discuss with Captain Hitsugaya as well._'**

'_Tomorrow, then. It's about time the both of us got sleep._'

He broke the connection and set his sword down beside the bed. Outside, Hitsugaya found that his run through the city and use of his Spiritual Pressure exhausted him more than he realized, and he quickly fell asleep on the couch.


	6. First Hive Strike

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

"_Hell Butterfly" _"Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

Lieutenant Colonel Rick Abernathy stood waiting outside the heavily armed entrance for his charges. He'd been told by the Colonel that two foreign agents would be coming by and needed to be escorted to the nearest infected area. They were there to asses the situation and decide whether or not it was under control. Sure the virus was spreading rapidly, but they had it contained for the most part. The anti-virus gas they had created was doing wonders for killing it off.

His gaze panned around the streets, spotting two figures coming towards him. One sure looked the part of an agent, standing tall and stiff like they usually did, eyes focused on him. It was his partner that confused him, a young boy with white hair.

"I was told I was getting two agents, not an agent and his kid." Rick groaned out loud as they approached.

Toshiro scowled at the comment but let Byakuya handle it.

"This is my nephew," He recited, "Toshiro Hitsugaya. He's already graduated college and has been hired into the same agency as me."

"Hm." Rick looked warily at the large sword at Toshiro's back. To be honest, it was only slightly bigger than the sword Byakuya had, but with Toshiro being so short, it looked bigger in comparison. Which would explain why he carried it on his back, the soldier thought to himself. "Tch, alright then. Come with me."

The two foreigners were led inside, straight to the waiting helicopter. The two behind him held back gasps of astonishment at the large machine before them. As for Rick, he signaled for the pilot to start it up and got the two inside it.

"Here, you'll want to put these on or you won't be able to hear us." He said, voice rising as the engine whirred to life, and handed the Soul Reapers a pair of headsets. They effectively blocked out the deafening sound of the chopper blades and the mouth piece allowed them to speak to the others.

'_**Such a noisy beast, this would never do in Soul Society.**_' Senbonsakura grumbled, as he himself had no protection from the loud noise and rough winds.

'_Be silent, I need to concentrate on the information they give me._' Byakuya chided his sword.

'_**Of course.**_'

The chopper had a good pilot, the metal beast sliding through the air easily and hovering over the buildings. As they neared the infected area, people below could be seen screaming in terror as they tried to run from the area, not having known what was there. Those infected hunted them, biting and gouging whatever they could. Military personnel unleashed a barrage of bullets as they tried to keep the creatures back.

"Look there. A Hunter got through." Rick spoke in the mouth piece.

Both Soul Reapers turned to see the mangled beast known as a Hunter leap several yards, landing on its victim, a stray officer, and tore him apart. Three more officers arrived and peppered the beast with bullets. Instead of dying under the rain, it turned tail and ran to recover strength.

The chopper shook as a missile was launched from it, startling the foreign 'agents', and the projectile found its mark. The Hunter lost a good portion of its mid-section from the explosive and fell to the ground dead.

Through all of this, Toshiro tried to keep his food in his stomach. Hyorinmaru hummed in his mind, trying to soothe the upset Captain. The infected weren't much different from Hollows, people who became corrupted and consumed others. He'd seen this plenty of times, it was the reason he was here with Byakuya; to put a stop to this madness.

"This sort of thing has been going on for a couple days now." Rick warned them. "Once we have enough of the Bloodtox, that gas you were told about, we plan on spreading it in the infected areas. But for now, we only have enough to use it in areas not already infected to keep them safe. It takes a lot more to get rid of the infection than it does to prevent it."

"Understandable." Toshiro replied, forcing himself to look back outside. "It's just like any other disease. Getting the shot for it early prevents it from coming, and costs less than if they get the disease and are forced to use several types of medicines to eradicate it."

The officer gave a low whistle.

"So the kid is smart." Toshiro growled at that. "Yeah, that's pretty much how it goes."

They passed over the center of the chaos, where an apartment complex served as the hive, covered in convulsing boils that spit out contaminated air. Hunters devoured the infected flesh coming off of it eagerly, and any military man that got too big of a whiff of it quickly became mindless monsters like the rest of them.

"Alright, we need to destroy this hive." Rick ordered the pilot. "A shipment of Bloodtox is coming in to be set up. If we can keep the virus back, we may be able to get enough of the gas in the air to keep them back. Here's hoping, seeing as we've failed before."

"Let us help." Byakuya spoke up.

"No can do, gotta protect the agents. Colonel's orders. We can handle this; the Bloodtox is more concentrated this time around. It'll give us the edge we need."

The Soul Reapers shared a glance. Seeing as they would be staying in the chopper, they didn't have much chance of going out in their Soul Reaper forms to help. Besides, they didn't know who all would be able to see them.

A familiar roar came to their ears over the sound of the chopper blades and they snapped their attention to a group of Hollows. They were travelling with a Hunter, dogging him, and consuming the souls of those who died. One was being shot at by a frantic officer. So he could see them and was trying to fight them off.

"What is that idiot doing?" The pilot snapped, picking up his radio and shouting into it at the 'rogue' officer.

Several other officers came to try and calm him, but it was too late. One of the Hollows had the ability to posses the living, and possessed the Hunter they were following to attack them. A tank shot him off but the officer was already dead, so now the Hollows could devour souls without interference. No one else could see them.

More Hollows were coming as the number of souls increased. If they didn't do something, the place would be overrun and the humans would have more than the virus to worry about.

This was considered and emergency to the Soul Reapers, who nodded to each other and took out their Soul Candies. Their new ones were designed to be as much like them as possible, to avoid suspicion in times like this. Now in Soul Reaper form, they darted from the chopper and to the fight below. While humans couldn't see them, the infected could, which caused problems as they tried to fight off the Hollows.

Once they touched the ground, Byakuya immediately held his sword upright in front of him.

"_Scatter, Senbonsakura._" He called.

The blade split into thousands of tiny swords, catching the light and looking for all the world like cherry blossoms hovering in the wind. He directed the blades with his hand, cutting apart both infected and Hollows while leaving the humans and frightened souls in tact. Toshiro performed Soul Burial on those he could while fighting off the pitiful Hollows that dared come after them. Soul Society would be crowded today.

Military officers wondered how the hell the infected were falling apart in pieces, being sliced by invisible blades. Ice formed on some when Toshiro attacked with waves of Spiritual Pressure as he protected as many souls that he could. Byakuya even used the occasional kido spell when his swords were not working fast enough.

A Hunter got close to him, refusing to go down as the thousands of blades cut into it.

"_Way of Destruction Number Four, Pale Lightning._" He chanted quickly, pointing two fingers at the approaching Hunter.

A streak of pale blue lightning shot from his fingertips and into the Hunter, creating a hole in the body and severing a large chunk of the spine. The beast fell down dead, much to the military officers' surprise. They had a tank aimed at it when suddenly a hole appeared and electricity sparked along the skin.

"What the hell is going on!?" One of them shouted, worried if he was losing it.

"Doesn't matter! Whatever it is, it's helping us, so let's just take down the hive!" Another shouted at his companion.

"S-Sir, yes sir!"

Shots sounded off as all missiles were aimed at the infested building. Chunks began falling off, but it wasn't over until the whole thing was a pile of rubble and the infected around them fell down dead. Sensing the threat, Hunters swarmed the tanks.

"_Byakuya! I'll keep them safe; see if you can take down that building with Senbonsakura!_" Toshiro called out, using Flash Step to get ahead of a Hunter on his way to one of the tanks.

The noble didn't refuse, sending his blades crashing down on the offending building. The blades sliced through the crumbling building like butter, making it easier for the missiles to knock it down. Another shot of the Byakurai, Pale Lightning, and it came crashing down.

All of the infected fell to the ground and the souls rose, thanking him for freeing them from the torment and passing on to Soul Society on their own. They were happy just knowing they were no longer trapped, and gladly moved on from their living Hell. Hollows fled, realizing they were outmatched and their food temptation gone. Soldiers moved off to set up the Bloodtox generators in a hurry.

As for Byakuya, he realized something was off. His eyes scanned his surroundings, merely noting where his helicopter landed, and realized what it was.

Toshiro Hitsugaya was no where in sight.

* * *

_**It finally gets to the part where Toshiro vanishes. As for translating the kido spells into complete English, the point of it is that since the italicized parts are what the Japanese translates too, it would make sense that most everything Japanese(save for the names) would be translated. So, i translated the kido spells and almost everything except the names of the zanpaktou. Just in case anybody asks.**_

_**Questions? Submit a Review! It also lets me write faster, knowing people are reading this ^^**_


	7. Response to the Missing Captain

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

They never suspected a thing. Byakuya had returned to his body, but the Mod Soul for Toshiro remained. And yet, no one noticed, not even when 'Toshiro' never spoke a word again. The chopper took them back to the military base they had come from after they had successfully managed to set up the Bloodtox in the once infected area. The air remained a hazy red, but it had no effect on the humans walking among it.

The Mod Soul followed Byakuya obediently back to the hotel, remaining completely silent and continually reminding Byakuya that the owner of that body was no where in sight. He'd reached out with his Spiritual Pressure, trying to find any sign of his fellow Captain. Nothing, not a single flare of icy Spiritual Pressure to alert him to Toshiro's whereabouts. The young Captain had literally vanished in thin air.

This was bad and he knew it could only get worse. An hour ago he'd sent a Hell Butterfly to both Kisuke and the Head Captain about this new predicament along with his report to the Head Captain about what they had learned. He paced the room, waiting for a reply. All the while, Toshiro's Mod Soul sat silently in a chair, reading a book like the Captain would normally do. While he didn't speak much, he at least fit Toshiro's normal personality profile.

A small tinkling sound caught the noble's attention. He immediately put out a hand, allowing the small black butterfly to land on his finger, while the Mod Soul simply glanced up at it.

"_The situation has been debated over with the other Captains and a compromise has been met._" Came the Lieutenant of the First Squads voice. "_You are to return immediately and bring Captain Hitsugaya's Gigai to Kisuke Urahara. Further actions will be discussed one you have returned to the Soul Society._"

Byakuya sighed and let the butterfly fly off. He was right, things were only getting worse. He put his Mod Soul in his Gigai and used Senbonsakura to open a gate. He would go to Kisuke first, giving him back the Gigais and letting him know their belongings were still here, and then return to Soul Society.

It took half an hour to get the Gigais to Kisuke and his belongings returned, decent time for the noble's standards. With that done, he headed to the Soul Society, straight for the Head Captain's quarters.

The Squad One Lieutenant, Sasakibe, awaited him at the entrance.

"_Ah, you've returned. Follow me; the Head Captain is waiting for you._" He gave a slight bow to the noble and turned to lead him inside.

The office was large, one of the walls broken out to make way for the balcony overlooking the Soul Society. Head Captain Yamamoto sat at his desk, waiting for the Captain to approach him.

Byakuya stood somewhat nervously in front of the desk, hiding his emotions well even under the Head Captain's stern glance.

"_By the report you've given, Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya has unexplainably gone missing while fighting off a horde of Hollows and Blacklight Virus victims._" The old soul Reaper began.

"_That is correct, Head Captain._" Byakuya lowered his gaze slightly, an action Yamamoto took note of.

"_Hm, this has happened once before, when that one individual that had the same zanpaktou as Hitsugaya appeared. However, I don't think there is anyone Captain Hitsugaya knows there, so he can't have run off for a reason like that._"

"_I noticed the drop in his Spiritual Pressure when we had destroyed the hive, but there was no sign of injury or that he had died. It's as if he vanished in thin air._" Byakuya added on.

"_This is indeed puzzling. However, the situation at hand is still serious and needs the attention of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. I shall consider who to send with you when you go back, though I dread losing another Captain. We've only just refreshed our ranks._"

Nodding stiffly, Byakuya kept silent.

_"You may go. I shall send a message by Hell Butterfly of who I chose to replace Captain Hitsugaya. I'll be sending another agent to see if they can find him._"

"_Understood, Head Captain._" The noble left, thoughts swirling through his head.

The night was quiet, the news of Hitsugaya's disappearance had yet to cause a panic, for which he was glad. Momo Hinamori would be devastated that her little 'brother' was missing, Rangiku Matsumoto furious with him for losing him.

It was going to be a long night.

A Hell Butterfly flew through the Senkaimon and into the World of the Living, heading towards a certain orange headed teen.

Another came to rest upon the finger of the Captain of Squad Two. Both people had the same message; meet with the Head Captain immediately.

While the Captain made it there minutes after she received the message, the teen took a little longer, having to leave his body home and head through the gate before he could get to the Squad One barracks.

Captain Soi Fon was a petite woman with short black hair and onyx colored eyes and a commanding stance. Her rather short zanpaktou rested at her back, part of her hair going down in two white braids that ended in rings. There was a yellow ribbon around her middle and her pants were tucked into her shoes.

The Substitute Soul Reaper, Ichigo Kurosaki, had messy orange hair and brown eyes, standing a foot or so taller than the petite assassin. His Soul Reaper uniform was somewhat modified, with a collar and thick red strap over his chest to hold his giant zanpaktou. There were also black X tattoos on his hands and a large one over his chest.

"_Good, you came Kurosaki._" The Head Captain gave a small greeting to the Substitute. They owed the teen a lot.

"_Yeah, school was over and I was lucky not to have any homework._" The boy scratched the back of his head. "_So why am I here?_"

"_As I said in my message, Captains Byakuya Kuchiki and Toshiro Hitsugaya were sent to America to gain information about a mass virus outbreak. Captain Kuchiki can explain more later. However, during the mission, Captain Hitsugaya has gone missing. You, Ichigo Kurosaki, are to be his replacement and go with Captain Kuchiki to apprehend the virus and protect the humans. Captain Soi Fon._"

The petite woman snapped to attention.

"_You and Yoruichi Shihoin are to go with them and search for the missing Captain as they continue their mission. Do what you can while you search, but do not otherwise engage in the fights._"

_"Understood, Head Captain._" She bowed. The bow also hid her light blush when he mentioned she was getting to work with Yoruichi.

"_Very good. Kurosaki, you will wait at Urahara's for Captains Kuchiki and Soi Fon and then follow them to the island where this madness is taking place._"

"_Got it._" Ichigo just gave a small nod. The Head Captain didn't reprimand him for that.

"_Dismissed!_"

The two went separate ways to prepare for what would surely be a tough trip.

* * *

**It's later than my other chapters, but school has started and I'm already getting homework. I have some of the next chapter written, but I've decided to wait until I get ten or so reviews on it. I like proof that people are reading it and that they like it. Any critiques are good too, just not too mean please.**


	8. Hidden Ice Storm

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows"**

* * *

Eyes covered by a hood looked on approvingly at the frozen Hunter only feet away, the person having done it standing feet away from him. They were atop a skyscraper in a heavily infected area, and the Hunter had managed to sneak its way up to them, only to meet an icy death.

"So this power of yours comes from the fact that you're dead?" Alex Mercer questioned the white haired boy before him.

"Not quite." Toshiro sighed, and explained once again the basics of what a Soul Reaper was and the power of their Spiritual Pressure, as well as the zanpaktou powers. "My zanpaktou, Hyorinmaru, is ice based. That's also why I can't get infected. Having an ice type zanpaktou lowers my body temperature, which allows me to survive my own Spiritual Pressure, and therefore kills off the virus."

"Okay, I think I get it now." Alex scratched his head. "But, why help me? You just up and ran after me, not even leaving behind a note to your partner."

Toshiro closed his eyes for a moment, remembering what had happened when he jumped between the Hunter and the tank while Byakuya went to attack the hive.

**Flashback**

"_Byakuya! I'll keep them safe; see if you can take down that building with Senbonsakura!_" Toshiro called out, using Flash Step to get ahead of a Hunter on his way to one of the tanks.

Behind him, he heard the crash as the thousand blades tore the building apart. He lifted his sword to fight off the Hunter. They were the only infected beings capable of resisting the death of a hive, or so one of the officers had said before while shooting at them, so he needed to kill it now.

"_Reign over the-_"

Toshiro's release command was cut off as a black blur slammed into the Hunter, knocking it several feet over.

"_You!_" Toshiro shouted, recognizing the black hood.

Alex just smirked at him, before converting his arm into a giant black sword and cutting through the Hunter's spine. Once it was dead, Alex's body shot several black tendrils forth, latching onto the body and dragging it in. The man gave out a pained cry as his body absorbed the Hunter, leaving nothing there.

"It's Zeus!"

"Kill him!"

Toshiro made a move to stop Alex, wanting to ask questions about what had just happened, but the bullets peppering him forced Alex to run. The tiny Captain spared a glance at Byakuya, who had just now shot a Kido spell to bring down the building, before suppressing his Spiritual Pressure and darting after the man in black. He was fast, forcing him to use Flash Step to keep up.

**End Flashback**

And now here they were, interrogating each other atop a towering skyscraper. Apparently the bracelet Kisuke had given them made a double onto their spirit form, so he was still able to understand and speak English. The sword that appeared came from Alex's ability to morph his body at will. He'd shown the Captain various other weapons; a whip, claws, hammer fists, and an ability called Muscle Mass that allowed him to buff himself up and deal devastating damage. When he had absorbed the Hunter, it had not been by his own will. Whoever he killed, he consumed, if he was still standing close enough anyway.

"I didn't really intend on helping you at first." The Captain admitted. "But seeing how you're ultimate goal is to stop the virus and keep the military from, what did you call it…nuking the place then we can be considered allies, as that is our goal as well."

"Guess that makes sense." Alex shrugged. "But now you're public enemy number two, me being number one."

"Did you forget, not many can see me. Humans generally don't see us unless they have high Spiritual Pressure. As for this virus…it seems like it runs on a whole different level, which is why they can see me, why YOU can see me."

"That's probably because the virus is all linked together. I guess they all share their Spiritual Pressure or whatever, which is what let them see you."

"It's possible. Either way, the only thing I should be wary of is those controlled by the Blacklight Virus."

A chopper flew over head, forcing Alex to hide for a brief moment to avoid suspicion. No one was supposed to be on top of buildings in the middle of such an infected area.

"Hey, seeing as how you can freeze a Hunter solid," He pointed to the block of ice containing said Hunter, "think you could help me take out a few hives? It still won't let me on the military's good side, but it'll get rid of one threat."

"Might as well. I'll need to be careful though. I'm sure the other Soul Reapers will be looking for me, and they won't be too happy."

"No problem."

He jumped off the building with no fear, Hitsugaya following at a slower pace by creating footholds in the air with his Spiritual Pressure, after shattering the Hunter of course. A small crater was created once Alex had landed, but the military were too busy with the hive nearest them to notice.

"You get that one and I'll move around to the one we saw a few miles off." Alex said.

"Don't forget, Mercer, I'M the Captain." Toshiro growled, but unsheathed Hyorinmaru and turned to the hive in front of him.

"Right, sorry." He got a burst of speed and moved on to the hive he'd spoken of.

Unnoticed by the others, Toshiro turned to the infected building. A couple Hunters battered the tanks around them or smashed military officers. Hollows came in behind for a snack on the souls left behind. Apparently Hollows were welcomed among the infected as one of their own, which disgusted Hitsugaya. All in all, the military were failing.

"_Alright, Hyorinmaru, with so few humans it should be safe to do this._" He held his sword out to release it.

'_**How convenient a storm should come at this moment?**_' Hyorinmaru chuckled.

The white haired Captain turned to the darkening sky, smiling a bit at the cooling breeze. The storm had been off in the distance earlier, but now it would help mask his Spiritual Pressure, which usually brought upon a storm when he unleashed it. The ice would be difficult to explain, but at least the storm wouldn't be suspicious.

"_Reign over the Frosted Heavens, Hyorinmaru!_" He called out.

His blade grew slightly longer, and a chain flowed from the hilt, ending in a crescent shaped blade. Thunder smashed in the clouds above and rain came crashing down in waves. This didn't bother Toshiro however, who was perfectly happy in his element. Military officers fled the scene, seeing this was a losing battle against the infected and none the wiser to the Soul Reaper among them.

"_Alright, let's go!_"

Toshiro leaped into the air and gave a fighting cry, slashing the blade through the air and creating a wave of ice that formed into a red eyed ice dragon. It slammed into the ground and froze everything within a several yard radius. Ice formed up into spikes, striking into surrounding buildings and causing heavy damage to the hive.

A Hunter, realizing the danger to his hive, leaped with incredible strength at the Captain. A simple Flash Step got him out of the path and he tossed the chain-blade at him, entrapping the Hunter inside. He pulled it tight and the chain began to freeze the creature solid. It gave one final scream before freezing over, breaking into pieces with another tug from its wielder.

He slashed again, this time at the hive, and the building froze over solid. A well aimed hit from the chain-blade made the entire thing shatter like glass.

Everything fell silent as the infected fell dead, their souls passing on or becoming Hollows. The Hunters fled from this icy threat, Hollows were quickly overtaken by the Soul Reaper.

"_A job well done._" Toshiro panted a little from using so much of his power with the limiter on, allowing his sword to seal once more before sheathing it. "_Let's just hope the ice melts in time._"

'_**It is midsummer and, storm or no, the ice should melt before the military arrive.**_' Hyorinmaru replied.

Looking into the sky he noticed the clouds were beginning to clear. He'd used up everything it had when his Spiritual Pressure had combined with it, so now it was moving on, barely giving out a drizzle.

_"Let's get back to Mercer._" He sighed, and Flash Stepped out of the area.

* * *

**So, yeah, couldn't really wait to get the next chapter up. Now we learn what happened to Toshiro! ^^ Love feedback, hope you enjoyed! Reviews are love!**


	9. Searching the Crime Scene

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

Byakuya was back in the hotel suite, but now with the Substitute Soul Reaper instead of Hitsugaya. Once there, Soi Fon had immediately run off to search for said Captain along with Yoruichi in her cat form. The story now was that Byakuya's 'nephew' had to return to Japan and had been replaced with a 'bodyguard', Ichigo, at the Japan government's request. While Ichigo didn't like the story any more than Byakuya did, orders were orders and they didn't have a choice.

The orange haired teen fingered the silver bracelet on his wrist, having been fully briefed on the situation and what the bracelet did for him. His also served the purpose that Byakuya's Gigai did, masking his Spiritual Pressure, since he was no good at that and had his own body, not a Gigai.

"What do we do now?" Ichigo stopped messing with the bracelet and looked up at the Squad Six Captain.

"We will give Captain Soi Fon and Yoruichi some time to search for Captain Hitsugaya. In an hour we need to head out to the military base and go to the next infected area. Our current objective is to oversee the Bloodtox spread and make sure it does what it needs. As a side job, we'll take out Hollows that try to interfere and send any souls left behind to Soul Society."

"Man, that's an armful." Ichigo groaned. "Guess it has to be done though."

"Exactly, so it's best you stop complaining and prepare yourself."

A growl escaped Ichigo's throat at the comment. The two weren't the best of friends, but they couldn't risk another Captain. The Head Captain was already risking one by sending Soi Fon out, but he was sure a stealth job would be just up her alley and keep her from vanishing too.

Said Squad Two Captain had reached the area where Toshiro had destroyed a hive, his lingering Spiritual Pressure a clear sign he had been there. Any and all ice was gone, so any stray officer that came by to check on the Bloodtox distributors had no clue what had truly destroyed the hive, but it was no problem for a Soul Reaper to know who did it.

"_Well, he was definitely here._" Spoke a small black cat with golden eyes and a low male voice.

"_Yes. But after he took out this building, he left, not leaving a single trace behind._" Soi Fon inspected one spot carefully, the spot where Toshiro had released his sword. If one looked hard enough, they could see traces of ice left from the Spiritual Pressure he exerted. "_This is all there is._"

"_Why take out a building though?_" Yoruichi mused, her tail flicking behind her.

_"Byakuya mentioned something about the virus turning certain buildings into a kind of home base, a hive._" Soi Fon answered, stepping past a few soldiers and towards the building. They were none the wiser. "_Perhaps this was a hive and he got rid of it._"

"_If he's still alive and fighting off the virus, then why is he also avoiding us and the military?_" Yoruichi shook her head, confused. "That boy sure has something on his mind. We just need to find the reason he's avoiding us."

"_Damn, it's like the Diamond Dust Rebellion all over again._" Soi Fon growled. "_When he ran away to deal with his problem by himself and wouldn't return._"

"_I'm sure the circumstances are different this time, Soi Fon, but it does give me a sense of déjà vu._" She leaped onto the Captain's shoulder. "_Come on, let's keep searching._"

"_Right._"

They Flash Stepped out of the area and were on the search again. While they ran, Soi Fon sent off a Hell Butterfly to alert Byakuya about the destroyed hive, courtesy of their missing Captain.

The Butterfly found itself heading to a military base and paused, knowing the message's receiver was inaccessible for now. It would wait for them to leave.

Inside, the Soul Reapers were briefed on the current situation. The removal of the hives was still difficult and the virus was still spreading quickly, but the Bloodtox was effective in keeping it at bay and allowing the military to take it out. They were to head out to another infected area in a few minutes once the chopper arrived and destroy another hive. Once done, they would help set up the Bloodtox dispensers and hopefully keep out the virus.

Ichigo was bored and messed with the hilt of Zangetsu, his zanpaktou. The sword had barely complained when put into a Gigai form, a form that allowed it to remain a small katana. As for Ichigo's Hollow self, who also resided inside the blade, he complained loudly and without shame. He now had a splitting headache due his albino self's madness.

"And another thing, it seems we're getting some kind of anonymous help." His attention was snatched by the officer. "Two hives were destroyed a few hours ago after the military had left, deeming the situation to dangerous to continue. One had the signs of Zeus interfering, but why he is helping we're not sure, so we're hoping it wasn't him."

"Why, isn't it a good thing this 'Zeus' guy is helping?" Ichigo spoke up.

"He spreads the virus faster than normal infected, though he probably doesn't realize it. Wherever he goes, infection follows."

'_I doubt that._' Ichigo growled in his mind.

'_**They need an excuse to kill him, Ichigo.**_' Zangetsu noted.

'_True, but I still think this whole thing is a bunch of bullshit._'

"As for the other hive, it was destroyed in a way I've never seen before. The debris felt cold to the touch, and the pieces looked like they had shattered, more like glass than concrete. Not to mention the area itself seemed colder than the rest of the block."

Byakuya glanced at Ichigo, who did the same to him. They'd both realized just who it was that had destroyed that particular hive.

Toshiro Hitsugaya.

Now Soi Fon just had to find him and figure out why he'd not only run off but why he was working alone as well. This was only getting more suspicious, and neither Soul Reaper was happy with that. If the information was to be believed, it meant that Toshiro was working with Alex. But why?

A voice came up over the radio to signal that the helicopter was there. Sure enough, they could hear the loud whirring of the engine. He stood and led the 'agent' and his 'bodyguard' outside to get in. Having a little difficulty with the wind, the Hell Butterfly came and gave Byakuya Soi Fon's message. It simply confirmed that it was indeed Toshiro that had taken out the hive and that she was trying to find any trace of his Spiritual Pressure to follow. So far, nothing.

_"We'll search for him as we fly; perhaps we can catch him without him realizing we're here._" Byakuya ordered the Substitute in Japanese as they stepped into the flying machine. "_Your Spiritual Pressure is masked by the bracelet, so unless we use it, he shouldn't know we're here._"

"Got it." Ichigo replied in English.

And off they went, not knowing their search target was already in the area they were headed.

* * *

**So we go back to Byakuya, now with Ichigo. Soi Fon and Yoruichi do some scouting and for them the mystery deepens. Will they be able to catch him? Or perhaps Mercer?**

**Please continue to Review!**

**Apologies if the language offends anyone, i did rate it M, so i guess if you're reading it, you don't really care in the first place...just saying.**


	10. Close Encounter

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

"This way." Toshiro panted, dragging Alex with him.

The military had finally found a way to use the Bloodtox as a sort of pesticide, spraying it into infected areas to help lower the number of infected. Alex had been trying to sneak past in a disguised form when they turned the Bloodtox on and it hit him full blast. Toshiro was forced to step in and drag him off before anyone noticed his reaction to it.

"Dammit, just my luck." Alex coughed, his body rejecting the Bloodtox and slowly healing him.

"We'll need to be more careful from now on." Toshiro let go of the man as he stood and leaned against the wall to finish recovering. "Looks like I'll be taking care of this one."

"I can still help; I just can't stay for long." Alex growled. "I'll at least be able to call in a strike team to cover up whatever you do."

"Are you sure?" Toshiro narrowed teal eyes at him.

"Yeah, come on. The Hunters will find us if we don't hurry."

"Those won't be a problem. It seems they've begun fights with the Hollows because their turning to them as a food source now. My presence is keeping them from attacking souls as often as they used to."

"Alright then." He stood, looking as if he'd never been attacked by the gas, and walked back out of the alley in the form of a soldier.

Toshiro followed from the tops of the buildings. Just ahead was the hive, being bombarded by helicopter missiles and tank rounds. This one seemed a little tougher, holding its own against the bombardment.

"Ready Captain?" Alex's voice came over the private line he'd hacked onto the radio. It was easy to come by radios from dead soldiers, so he'd given one to the tiny Captain.

"Always, are you?" He replied, unsheathing Hyorinmaru.

"Alright, I'll call in the artillery strike and they'll shoot on my mark."

"Tell them to fire when I'm in the air. I'll be using one of my attacks to freeze it. The strike will shatter it and the heat will melt the ice before anyone notices."

"Will you get out in time?"

"I will."

"…Alright, get moving." He switched it to the open military channel, one Toshiro could still hear but where no one could hear him. "This is Ground One to Rain Dad, come in."

"…This is Rain Dad, what is it Ground One?"

Satisfied that they had the attention of the artillery team, Toshiro spoke the release command for Hyorinmaru and prepared for his attack.

Further off, Byakuya and Ichigo sat up quickly and looked out the side of their helicopter.

"That Spiritual Pressure…it's Toshiro!" Ichigo called out.

"Say what?" The pilot spared them a glance.

"Uh, nothing." They shrugged off the pilot and looked towards where they'd sensed the sudden rise in Toshiro's icy Spiritual Pressure.

The strike team was waiting for Alex's mark. It would take a few seconds for the missiles to get there, giving Toshiro plenty of time to move in and get back out. Hyorinmaru was held in position and he leaped.

"Now!" Alex shouted to the strike team.

"_Dragon Hail Flower!_" He called out, stabbing into the building. Ice flowed from where the blade punctured and froze the building over in seconds. Once frozen, Toshiro turned and used Flash Step to escape just as the missiles rained down, breaking the ice building into pieces. The explosive heat melted the ice immediately.

Toshiro landed swiftly on the ground in an alley, where he was met by a soldier.

"Nice one, didn't see that coming." Alex smirked, shifting back to his normal self.

"How come you can trick the military so easily?" Toshiro asked him.

"I get the memories of the people I consume." Alex said, a little solemn now as he spoke. "Whenever I consume a soldier, I know how to do what they do. It's easy to call in a strike team or anything else, and I can walk right into a military base…or, I could, until they got those sensors."

"I'd say convenient, but it comes with a price."

"Yeah, I don't exactly like it either, but it gets me by."

Teal eyes turned to see Bloodtox carriers coming in to set up.

"We need to be more careful from now on. There's got to be a way around the Bloodtox."

"I've learned a lot about hacking from a couple people." Alex suggested. "Let's find a safe place to talk and we'll work something out."

"Sounds good." He made to follow Alex when he noticed something. It was faint, but he could sense Ichigo's Spiritual Pressure. '_Damn, they sent Kurosaki as my replacement. I can't be found yet, not with Mercer._'

'_**Then hurry, Toshiro. I will help to mask your presence as you run.**_' Hyorinmaru rumbled.

One Flash Step and he was gone from the area, catching up easily with Alex's quick speed.

The helicopter landed among a group of armed officers and the Soul Reapers jumped out quickly, running off to see if there was any trace left of Toshiro. His Spiritual Pressure lingered on building debris from his ice attack, and they even found the alley where he had been mere moments before. However, that was where the trail ended, leaving them nothing to go off of.

There was a blur and Soi Fon joined them.

"_So you felt it too?_" She questioned, Yoruichi jumping off her shoulders.

"_Yes, it seems he took out another hive and left._" Byakuya responded. "_What I don't understand is why he ran; surely he didn't sense us coming._"

"_He's up to something, that much is clear._"

As they discussed what could possibly be going through Toshiro's thoughts, Yoruichi used her experience to thoroughly search the area. There was another trace Spiritual Pressure mixing in with the Captain's own. It felt dark.

"_Someone else was here._" She called out to the three. "_It feels similar to the virus, but very highly concentrated, mixed with that of several humans._"

"_Mercer?_" Byakuya's eyes widened. Something dawned on him and he rushed over to where Yoruichi was searching.

"_Who?_" Both Soi Fon and Ichigo asked at the same moment.

"_The man who controls the virus, I gave you a brief description of him Kurosaki._"

"_Oh…But why would Toshiro be hanging out with him?_"

_"By the looks of it they're working together to take out the hives. But why would a man infested by the virus be willing to destroy it?_" Soi Fon mused.

"_He's been avoiding conflict with the military and is only seen attacking infected now. There's the occasional fight between the two, but generally Mercer sticks to attacking the Blacklight Virus._" Byakuya explained. "_And if the soldiers are to be believed, Captain Hitsugaya has been assisting him with destroying the hives._"

"_Not to mention taking out Hollows. There's hardly any in sight, and it seems like the souls leave too after a hive is taken down. He didn't have time to send them off, did he?_" Ichigo spoke up.

"_No, but after a hive is destroyed, the souls move on by themselves, happy to be free from the curse of the living dead._" Byakuya replied while trying to find any sign of Toshiro further off. He was hiding himself very well. "_Those who don't become Hollows immediately._"

"_They, however, are in conflict with the Blacklight Virus._" Soi Fon reported. "_With souls being freed so quickly and Toshiro fighting them off, it seems they're turning to them as a food source._"

"_That means they're not working together, which is very good._" Yoruichi finished off.

"_Alright, keep searching for him. Kurosaki and I need to return before we are suspected._" Byakuya nodded to the girls, watching them run off with Flash Step.

Ichigo followed Byakuya back to the officers outside, watching the Bloodtox spread through the area. His headache came back as his Hollow complained about the smell; so Hollows were mildly effected by the gas. Though, instead of being painful, it was simply annoying and irritating to them. At least it meant that Hollows wouldn't go near the gas either.

Their predicament with the military was getting better, but finding Toshiro was quickly becoming a problem.

* * *

**So they didn't catch Toshiro or Mercer, but they got _really _close to them. And it seems Toshiro has a good influence on Alex, could he possibly be friendly in this one? The first fanfic where he's not a total bad guy?**

**Please continue to Review!**


	11. Solution

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

An officer turned as one of the sensors turned yellow, signaling that an infected was nearby. Just as quickly as it started, it stopped.

"Damn thing must be broken." The officer shook his head and kept walking.

The one who'd nearly tripped the sensor had already walked back out of the base, meeting up with a white haired boy.

"See, told you." The officer whispered to him so no one would think he's crazy; no one else could see the kid. "Even if I got close enough to hack, it would start barking the minute I touched it."

"There's no way to get what we need without going through them first, then?" Toshiro asked him.

"Nope. If I can find a way to hack it from a distance…Hey, I got it."

"What?"

Alex took a small device from one of the many pockets on the uniform of his soldier disguise.

"Stick that into one of the sensors and I'll be able to hack it from a distance. You'll have to go to all of them, but it should give us at least an hour to go in undetected."

"Plenty of time to get what we need." Hitsugaya took the device. "Alright, find a good spot and get ready."

Alex darted away while Hitsugaya strolled back to the base. He avoided making contact with anyone, knowing it would cause panic if they kept running into some kind of invisible force. He slipped into the base without trouble just as Alex called in.

"All set. Once you insert the device, I'll be able to hack the sensor and turn it off."

"Off? Won't they notice it?"

"By that I mean it won't start blaring noise when I walk past it."

"I see." Hitsugaya just shook his head; never could figure out all the mechanics humans had.

He stepped up to the first sensor, searching the panel for the right plug in. There was a lot of buttons and panels, so it took him a moment to find what he needed. Once the device was plugged in he waited for Alex to start hacking.

"Got it, it's off. Get to the next one quickly." Alex called in after a moment.

Flash Step brought him to the next sensor in no time. Now that he knew what to look for, he had the device plugged in and was once again waiting for Alex. After about three minutes they had all the sensors numb to the presence of the virus, allowing Alex to waltz right in with his military disguise and step inside the base. Toshiro followed him closely as he walked towards a large table in the center.

The man suddenly froze.

"What is it?" Toshiro asked.

"Super soldiers." Alex cursed under his breath. "They can sense the virus in me too; they were genetically altered to do so. It's so they can find and kill me."

"I'll take care of them, just get what we need and get moving quickly."

Luckily no one could see him, though a couple must have seen a blur pass, because they followed him with their eyes for a moment. The super soldier Alex ad pointed out was catching onto the virus and was making his way towards the disguised man. He glanced at Toshiro clearly for a moment, forcing the Soul Reaper to hide as he realized these Super Soldiers could see him too. However, the pull of the virus made him shrug and leave the Captain alone to head towards his original target.

Unsheathing Hyorinmaru, he tapped the tip of the blade to the ground and let out a bit of his Spiritual Pressure. A thin sheet of ice formed. Once the soldier stepped onto it, it rose up and hardened over his feet, immobilizing him.

"What the fuck? Hey, get me out of this!" The soldier started yelling.

For good measure, Toshiro added on another thick layer to keep him busy for a while. The soldier's yelling caught the attention of everyone else, giving a good distraction to let both the Soul Reaper and Mercer escape unnoticed.

"Again, I owe ya." Alex gave a mock salute.

"It doesn't matter. Did you get it?"

Holding out his hand, Toshiro could see the object of their little quest. It was a remote that could turn the Bloodtox on and off, which would allow Alex to walk into areas where it was being pumped without fear of losing consciousness to the gas.

"Good. It should be easier to get through and destroy the hives now." Toshiro nodded approvingly.

"You do realize that the more hives we take down, the more areas get pumped with Bloodtox and the less room I have to maneuver."

"That's why we needed the remote."

"It's still going to be difficult. Besides, I'm sure Elizabeth will show herself soon because of our actions."

"That is also good. We can kill her once she surfaces."

"You make it sound so easy." Alex sighed. "What about your pals, you said they were after you?"

Hitsugaya paused, thinking over how to reply.

"It would take time to explain to them why I'm helping you, and they would only get angry that I didn't talk it over with them first. Besides, I don't think they would agree with my decision to help you."

"Because I'm just as dangerous as the rest of the virus. I'm just like Elizabeth after all, only I'm the one controlling the virus inside me."

A sigh escaped Toshiro's lips and he started walking a little faster. It wasn't the whole truth, but at least it would get Alex off his back for a while.

'**_This cannot go on forever. They will eventually catch up to you._'** Hyorinmaru warned.

'_Then by then I will be finished here and will gladly go with them._' His Soul Reaper replied.

_'**There are still many hives dotting this island, can you really say you'll be finished destroying them before they find you? And then there's the fact that the virus is spreading rather rapidly despite the Bloodtox.**_'

'_We can handle it. I will get this done._'

The zanpaktou grew quiet, listening with approval to his master's resolve.

The strange duo made their way to the next hive, following a procession of military machines to their target.

* * *

**So the duo has found a way to get around the Bloodtox, but will it help them avoid the Soul Reapers? We'll see ^^ Love the Reviews!**


	12. One Step Closer

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

By the time Byakuya and Ichigo had returned to their hotel room to change into their Soul Reaper forms, another hive was down with the help of the military's mysterious assistants. However, Toshiro was being careful this time, and barely any of his Spiritual Pressure lingered around the building.

"We have to meet up with Captain Soi Fon at the most recently destroyed hive." Byakuya commanded the Substitute.

"I got it already." Ichigo grumbled, following Byakuya outside where they used Flash Step to get to said Captain.

"_There you are._" She snapped, turning to them when they arrived. "_He was way more careful this time, there's hardly even a trace of him left. He knows we're onto him._"

"_Great, now he's making things harder."_ Ichigo sighed. "_Why is he trying to hide from us?_"

"_That's still unknown. All we know for sure is he's helping Alex Mercer get rid of the hives. They've even found a way to turn off the Bloodtox while in the area to allow Mercer through._"

"_That could be a way to track them._" The two Captains looked to Ichigo. "_What? Byakuya and I can ask the soldiers which pumps were turned off when and we can get an idea of where he's heading and where he is._"

_"I never thought of that._" Soi Fon mused. "_We need to find a way to communicate in a quicker way than the butterflies. That way you can tell me when one turns off and I can head that way to apprehend him._"

"_The radios the soldiers use would work, we just need to make a private channel._"

"_Alright, get working on that. I'll start moving out to see if I can catch him. Send a butterfly when you're done and I'll come pick up the radio._" Once said, Soi Fon darted off quickly.

"_Can you do it?_" Byakuya asked the Substitute.

"_Well, I might need to ask a soldier for help, but it shouldn't be too much trouble._" Ichigo shrugged.

"_Good, I'm going to help search._"

The soul Reapers parted ways to complete the job they'd each assigned themselves. Ichigo headed back to the hotel, getting into his body and heading off towards the military base. It was darkening, meaning most people were getting inside and barring up to hide away from the threat of the virus, military personnel overflowing the streets, and the occasional gang that had nothing better to do than make things worse.

The base let him in without question, by now used to the strange foreigners that kept walking in. In fact, they didn't really pay much attention to him until he grabbed three radios and set them down in front of one of the officers.

"I need someone who can help me make a private radio channel for Agent Byakuya and I, along with an undercover agent we have that's searching for T-Mercer." He corrected himself before saying out Toshiro's name. It would be suspicious if they said they were looking here for someone who was supposed to be back in Japan.

"Private channel?" The officer droned.

"Yes. It's so we can talk with our undercover agent without attracting too much attention."

"Ah, I get it. Well, you came to the right guy. Let me see those." He took the three radios and began tuning them into a different frequency.

While he worked, Ichigo stepped over to the screen on the wall that showed what was infected and what was military. The blue areas were slowly spreading, areas of red pressing against it for control. Red dots appeared when officers signaled for strike teams or reinforcements. Gray areas were neutral, but were slowly being consumed by one color or the other. Mainly the red as the virus took advantage of weak points.

A red area suddenly began to dull and turn gray, meaning a hive had just been destroyed.

'_That has to be Toshiro._' Ichigo thought to himself.

'_Then get after him, King._' His Hollow sneered. '_Or you'll just lose him again. I for one want to see this Mercer guy everyone is so wary of._'

'_**There is no time for such things**._' Zangetsu warned. '_**It is essential to find Toshiro right now while assisting the military.**_'

'_Shut up, both of you!_' Ichigo held his head as their arguing brought on another headache.

"You okay kid?" The officer questioned, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah, fine. Just so much going on is all." Ichigo lied.

"Understand just fine. Everyone gets the occasional headache, what with this virus outbreak." He stood, holding the three radios. "Okay, got them all tuned up. Just turn it on and it'll only link with the other two, should be good enough for you and your undercover agent."

"Thanks." He took the radios and quickly left. Now he just had to wait for Byakuya and Soi Fon to check in so he could give them their radios.

'_Go find them yourself lazy ass._' Hichigo snorted.

'_They're going to be moving around a lot, it could take hours to catch up to them._' Ichigo growled back.

'_Tch, fine._'

'_**Now you have a way to communicate with the others faster, but how are you going to know when a Bloodtox generator is shut off?**_' Zangetsu questioned.

'_There's another screen like the one I was looking at earlier in the base. It shows where the pumps are and which ones are working, off, or destroyed._'

'_**I see. By watching that you will be able to know where Toshiro is.**_'

'_That's the hope. I'll form a plan with the Captains later when we join up again._'

The Substitute took a seat in the hotel room and waited patiently for Byakuya to arrive. After an hour of waiting, he fell asleep.

At the time when Ichigo noticed the destroyed hive on the screen, Soi Fon and Byakuya had both noticed the slightest rise in Toshiro's Spiritual Pressure. He was at it again.

They went as fast as they could, but even the Flash Step Master and the assassin of Squad Two couldn't quite get there fast enough. All that he left behind were small ice shards and lingering Spiritual Pressure. They were close to him, but yet could not catch him.

They did manage to catch up to his partner.

"_Way of Binding Number Sixty-Three, Chain-link Chain Bonds._" Byakuya chanted effortlessly.

Alex did his best to avoid the glowing yellow chains, but the kido spell quickly wrapped around him and sent him tumbling to the ground. No matter how much strength he put into his arms and body, he couldn't break them off. Now that he was down, Soi Fon grabbed him by his collar and lifted him into a sitting position, her face close to his as she glared at him.

"_You're Alex Mercer, aren't you?_" She questioned him in Japanese.

"Uh…" Alex blinked, confused. "I heard my name in there, so if you're asking if I'm Alex Mercer, then yes. Now what do you want?"

Soi Fon growled but realized she couldn't interrogate him without a translation bracelet, which she had failed to get from Kisuke thinking she wouldn't need it while searching undercover. She reluctantly stood him up and turned him to face Byakuya.

"If you're Alex Mercer, then where is Toshiro Hitsugaya?" Byakuya glared at him as well.

"Who the hell is that?" Alex growled, struggling once more to break the bonds but unable to do so. Soi Fon didn't even try to stop him squirming, only waited to stop him from running.

"We have reason to believe he's been traveling with you."

"That so? Hm, well, I do remember meeting him once a few days back. He was interrogating me. The short white haired kid, right?"

At the answer, Byakuya narrowed his eyes. It was true; Toshiro had met with Alex some time before he vanished.

"_Captain Hitsugaya's Spiritual Pressure is still on him._" Soi Fon suddenly snapped. "_They were near each other recently, which means they were working together to destroy that hive._"

"You're lying Mercer, you know where Hitsugaya is." Byakuya then snapped at their captive.

"Nope, not a clue. So how come you speak English but she doesn't?" He motioned with his head to his captor. "And what's this weird chain you put on me?"

"Neither question needs to be answered. However, you're still not telling the truth. Hitsugaya's Spiritual Pressure lingers both back at the hive and around you, meaning you were near him when he destroyed it."

"Kid came out of nowhere and started freezing things." Alex shrugged. "Doesn't mean I know where he ran off to."

"You just said you hadn't seen him since a few days ago."

Steel gray eyes noted when Alex's body tensed. They'd caught him.

"Now, where is Toshiro Hitsugaya?" Byakuya's voice had a dangerous edge to it; he was getting frustrated with him fast.

Silence. Soi Fon growled, recognizing his new tactic, though was unable to discern the topic. He would remain silent and not say a word, and would probably stay that way until they either gave up or killed him. There weren't going to be any answers from him.

"_I say we let him go and follow him to Captain Hitsugaya._" Soi Fon suggested, though she wasn't sure what Byakuya had discussed with Mercer, unable to understand English.

"_He'll know we're coming and avoid us. He has no problem with leaving Mercer behind if it means escaping us._" Byakuya shook his head in reply.

"_Then we draw him in. Captain Hitsugaya needs this idiot for something; otherwise he wouldn't be working with him. He'll come for him eventually._"

"_Perhaps. But then again he might not. Kurosaki should have those radios by now; we'll just catch them both when he shuts off a Bloodtox pump to let Mercer through._"

"_Fair enough. We'll have to erase his memory or he'll rat us out. Captain Hitsugaya will immediately figure out what we're doing._"

"_No…we'll work around that. Let Captain Hitsugaya think we're using Mercer to get to him. He'll isolate himself and make more mistakes as he tries to hide._"

"_True. Alright then, we'll do things your way._"

"Hey, uh, I kinda don't know what you're saying." Alex butted in, finally tired of the foreign language. "I heard my name a couple times; it's not nice to talk about people to their face in a foreign language."

"It seems you're of no use to us." Byakuya worded carefully. "Stay out of our way and we won't bother you. Our job is to help the military get rid of the virus, but your help thus far makes killing you a bad choice for now."

"Joy."

Soi Fon let him go and darted out of the area, going to the hotel suite at Byakuya's silent request. Said Captain released the kido on Mercer before also darting away.

"Tch, 'your help thus far makes killing you a bad choice'. Bullshit, they're just going to follow me in the shadows." Using a separate vision to look for heat signatures, he found none and shrugged. "Guess I better find Toshiro, he'll want an update on why they keep catching up."

* * *

**My updates are probably going to spread out now that school has started and they're piling on the homework. I'll still work on it if i can and hopefully get the next chapter up soon. Enjoy!**

**Please continue to Review!**


	13. Change in Plans

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

"Are you completely sure?" Toshiro snapped.

"Hey, they had me pinned down with glowing chains and an 'I'll kill you' look the whole time. I'm pretty sure they were serious." Alex growled back.

After telling the small Captain what had happened after they'd separated to try and escape, he seemed to be rather upset and was now pacing.

"They let me go pretty quick so I'm guessing they're watching from somewhere. Had eyes in the back of my head the whole time watching for them." Alex continued.

Hearing that, Toshiro got a little more flustered and rushed over, lifting a hand to the infested man. A small green light enveloped his hand, startling him.

"Hey, what-?"

"Hold still, I'm making sure there's no trace of kido on you. They'll be able to track you that way." The Captain commanded.

"Oh."

Mercer felt strange while the kido searched over him but didn't move. Though it took some time, he found he could trust the white haired Captain for a lot of things.

"So they're not using kido to track you…how did they find us?" Toshiro stepped back, pacing again.

"I'm not sure, but we should probably hurry to the next hive before the military pump the place full of Bloodtox."

Alex pulled out the small remote, only to have it snatched from his hands. The snatcher was glaring at the device, putting the pieces together.

"This is how they found us." He frowned deeply.

"The remote?" Alex tilted his head slightly, confused.

"Not exactly. Whenever we turn off a Bloodtox pump, it's noted somewhere, I'm sure of it. They must be following that trail right to us." The Captain's grip tightened on the machine.

"We can't exactly throw it out; I'm not exactly immune to Bloodtox…though the effects do take a little longer to show."

"It will take to long to wait for you to build up immunity to it. We'll have to try something else."

"What then?" Annoyance crossed Alex's face; he was starting to get tired of being led around in circles.

"You can fly a gunship, right?"

Finally understanding his partner's plan, Alex smirked evilly.

"No problem."

"Good, find one and let me know. I'll join you later."

Blinking, Alex watched Toshiro walk away with a determined expression.

"Wait, what are you doing?" He started to follow.

"You once said I didn't leave a message behind for my fellow Soul Reapers." Toshiro glanced back. "Well now I'm going to."

They parted ways.

At the hotel, Soi Fon filled Ichigo in on their interrogation of Mercer. He in turn gave them their radios and told them how to work it.

"_We'll still need these, but the plan has been changed._" Soi Fon said, pocketing her radio. "_Mercer is sure to let Captain Hitsugaya know about our interrogating him. He's going to catch on quick enough, so we need to get a step ahead._"

"_Knowing him, he'll let Mercer do most of the work from now on. He might even try to set up a distraction that will lead us away while he goes elsewhere._" Byakuya added.

"_Alright, so what do you plan to do to get around that?_" Ichigo asked.

"I_f he lets Mercer do the work, we'll head over and wait for him to make a move. If he doesn't, we'll watch Mercer and wait for him to head back, leading us right to him. It may take a couple tries but we should manage to catch him._" Soi Fon reeled off. "_If he tries a distraction, we'll send one of us to look and another to wait for him to actually strike. Hopefully one of these plans will work._"

"_And if he figures that out?_"

"_Then we have no choice but to bring in the Stealth Force and chase him out._" The words were bitter, but it was clear Soi Fon didn't like doing this to a fellow Captain.

"_Great…hey, look._" Brown eyes had caught onto a strange sight, a black butterfly hovering at the window.

Byakuya stood just as the small bug phased through the glass and fluttered towards him, landing gracefully on his waiting finger. Behind him, Soi Fon and Ichigo waited with baited breath for what the message was.

After a moment, Byakuya frowned and let the butterfly go, where it flew to the next Soul Reaper, Soi Fon. She listened intently, also frowning when it finished, and the two of them watched Ichigo as it gave the message to him.

"_I ask that you stop looking for me._" Came Toshiro's voice. "_I'm sure the Head Captain sent Soi Fon to find me, but my methods are rather difficult to explain. I'll just say that my working with Mercer is a way to ensure this island's safety. Also, he could prove to be useful in the days to come, especially when the virus queen, Elizabeth, surfaces._"

"_The hell?_" Ichigo growled as the butterfly left, its messenger job over. _"If that's his plan, why can't we help him?_"

"_This changes things completely._" Byakuya began pacing. "_I never expected him to do something like this._"

"_It looks like he's trusting us to back off and let him finish his work._" Soi Fon mused. "_But can we allow that, seeing as we were ordered to find him?_"

"_We should tell the Head Captain about this._"

"_What do you think Yoruichi?_" Ichigo stood, looking at the silent black cat. "_You've been pretty quiet._"

Her golden eyes glanced at him, before going back to a thoughtful gaze. From their conversation, she could guess what the message was about.

"_Hm, he's definitely trying his best to finish up. We may not be able to help him directly, but perhaps we can get the military under our authority and assist from the sides._"

"_Even if that means letting a potential danger like Mercer through?_" Soi Fon questioned.

"_Hitsugaya obviously has that man on a string. So far Mercer has gone from attacking both military and Blacklight victims to taking out hives and staying in the shadows, rarely making contact with officers._"

"_That's impressive even for Toshiro._" Ichigo mused. "_I bet he's wishing Rangiku was that easy to change._"

Both Soul Reaper Captains gave a small groan; they all knew the terror Rangiku could be after a sake party. And there was no end to the complaints from Toshiro about her not doing paperwork, even the Head Captain noted that most of the paperwork supposed to be done by the Lieutenant was done by Toshiro instead.

"_The point is, Ichigo, is Captain Hitsugaya is fine on his own and has Mercer under control. We just need to focus on eradicating the virus._" Yoruichi stood and leaped nimbly to the table in the center.

"_Then that's what we'll do._" Byakuya nodded. "_Captain Soi Fon, will you go back and tell the Head Captain about this?_"

"_No, no, I will._" Yoruichi interrupted. "_Soi Fon should stay here and keep looking. You and Ichigo are working with the military, but she's still undercover, remember? Perhaps she can catch up to him and assist. It would help things along._"

"_If he lets me._" Soi Fon sighed. _"I'd send a reply with the Hell Butterfly, but they can't find people who are hiding their Spiritual Pressure._"

"_You will try though, yes?_"

"_Of course, Lady Yoruichi._"

The plan was set and they waited for the next day to start with as much impatience as before the message.

* * *

**Okay, managed to get this one up for your guys. So it seems Toshiro figured things out quick and is planning something...that involves a helicopter? His message throws off his pursuers, so now they're helping front he shadows. How will this turn out!?**

**Please continue to Review!**


	14. Alliance of the Damned

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

Alex turned from his partner, to the black butterfly, and back again.

"So…let me get this straight." He looked between the two again, noting the amused look in Toshiro's cold teal eyes. "That…bug…can send messages…by thought?"

"In a sense, yes. It's called a Hell Butterfly. This one just sent a message to my fellow Soul Reapers, giving a brief description of what I'm doing."

"What did you tell them?"

"I simply asked them to stop looking for me because my goal is still the same. It's just that my methods in completing it are different and I need secrecy to finish."

"And they'll listen?"

The white haired captain sighed, putting the butterfly into a sort of stasis and pocketing it for another time.

"Here's hoping. We'll just wait and see if they try to come for me again at the next attack. You have the helicopter ready?"

Alex grinned and patted the front of the large gunship he'd managed to take from right under the nose of the military. There was a loud metal thunk as he tapped it.

"In as good a shape as any and fully loaded. So what's the reason for making me steal a chopper?"

"If my friends stay back like I hope they do, then I'm going to try adding my Spiritual Pressure in the form of kido onto the rockets. It should give them a power boost and cause them to be more destructive."

"Sweet, less rounds for more destruction." Alex grinned wider, looking like a kid in a candy shop. Or, more accurately, a rookie soldier in a weapons locker. "In that case, your buddies better watch their step!" He stepped gleefully into the cockpit and started it up.

"_What a strange man._" Toshiro sighed in Japanese.

'_**I'll say, it's hard to tell what's Mercer and what's a different memory. This is probably his pilot memory kicking in.**_' Hyorinmaru added on grudgingly.

'_Perhaps. But we'll just have to get over it._' Hitsugaya stepped into the helicopter before Mercer could take off without him.

Alex wasn't as smooth a pilot as the one he'd had before, so he was forced to fully strap in before trying to concentrate on pushing his Spiritual Pressure into the rotary guns and missiles along the helicopter's sides using a modified kido spell. When the metal weapons could hold no more, he moved on to the next, filling them up rather quickly without even slightly tiring himself. He had plenty to spare for an attack if needed.

The chopper shook violently as Alex pulled back to avoid a Hunter.

"Came out of nowhere!" Alex snarled, turning the vehicle to face where the Hunter had landed.

"I'll take it out, just get to the hive and destroy it." Toshiro ordered, unbuckling the straps and removing the headset before jumping out. The wind settled down as Alex flew off as he was told.

It was just the Captain and the Hunter, both beings staring the other down. The Hunter was confused by Toshiro's calm stillness. Most either ran or attacked, never did they remain still.

"**Kill him…it's a Soul Reaper…destroy him.**" A voice hissed.

Toshiro's eyes narrowed as several Hollows appeared. To his disappointment, one was an adjuchas, having been feeding off Hollows, souls and Blacklight Virus victims. It was that Hollow that had whispered to the Hunter.

"**You're outnumbered, Soul Reaper.**" The Hollow sneered, a humanoid beast not unlike a Hunter, though with distinct wolf like features.

"But not outmatched." Toshiro snapped back. This Hollow was formed from one of the souls on the island, proven by its English voice. It must have been avoiding him, gathering up others to try and outnumber him.

"**Oh? Shall we test your confidence?**" It gave a bark to the others and they, along with the Hunter, leaped in for an attack.

The Hollows made it there first, but the low level beasts were easily cut down with swift strikes of Hyorinmaru. One tried to sneak up behind, but Toshiro simply side stepped and cut upwards, cutting through the mask quickly and watching the Hollow die off in a swirl of blue spirit particles.

Next was the Hunter, much harder to kill. After seeing the others go down so quickly, it took its time, learning from their mistakes.

Not that Toshiro was going to let it. He tapped the tip of his blade to the ground and ice flowed across the building top toward the prowling beast. Sensing that this ice was a danger to it, it leaped up onto a higher part of the building, roaring at the small Soul Reaper.

"Hm, tricky one, aren't you?" He growled at it.

"**Forgetting something?**" Came the voice of the adjuchas.

Hyorinmaru blocked the wolf Hollow's fangs with a lazy stroke backwards.

"**What?**" Startled, the Hollow made to back off, but found itself frozen to the blade from Hitsugaya's Spiritual Pressure.

"You'll have to do better than that to kill a Captain." Toshiro narrowed his eyes at the slowly freezing adjuchas. "Now die."

He broke his blade free from its frozen jaws and lifted the blade for the final strike when something slammed him to the ground. He felt something shift in his side as he landed heavily onto the concrete rooftop and there was a searing pain in his arm from being crushed under him. He was lucky Hyorinmaru wasn't underneath him, or he might have been killed by his own zanpaktou.

Ignoring the pain, Toshiro turned icy teal eyes upwards to his assailant. The Hunter he'd tried to freeze over had pinned him down and was lifting up for a final strike on him.

"Not…today. _Bankai! Daiguren Hyorinmaru!_"

The resulting explosion of Spiritual Pressure coming from Toshiro effectively knocked the Hunter off and sent the adjuchas Hollow stumbling some ways away.

"To think…I'd have to use…my Bankai on…the likes of you." The Captain snarled, still feeling immense pain from his surely fractured arm and whatever had shifted in his side.

The ice that formed around his arms and feet kept him cool, keeping the pain from stretching too far with its searing heat. The wings on his back, made from ice as well, were partway shielding him from any further attack. Ice was forming across the rooftop and clouds were quickly forming in the sky, the weather becoming colder in a large area.

The Hunter did not agree with the new cold and was on the attack again. However, now that he was in his Bankai, Hitsugaya simply waved his sword in its general direction and an ice dragon formed, spearing the Hunter into a frozen block before shattering.

"_Dragon…Hail Flower._" Toshiro turned to the adjuchas now cowering against the side of the building, rushing forward and running it through before freezing it solid as he did once before with a hive. After it froze, he struck it again to shatter it. He watched carefully to make sure it was dead, waiting until he saw the blue sprit particles fade away before he released his Bankai and fell to his knees, using his now sealed zanpaktou as support.

"_You really did it this time._"

Toshiro whipped around to face the source of the voice.

"_Captain…Soi Fon._" He gaped, before snarling angrily. "_I told you not to come after me!_"

"_You should be glad I did, considering your condition._" Soi Fon rushed over to him. "_And don't worry, our plan has changed. We're not trying to bring you back just yet._"

"_You're not?_" In no condition to fight her, Toshiro simply leaned against the wall and let Soi Fon use healing kido to fix his arm.

"_No. We got you're message and Lady Yoruichi is reporting in to the Head Captain. Kuchiki and Kurosaki will continue to assist in destroying hives and distracting the military from you and Mercer. I'm going to aid you from now on._"

Exhaustion was beginning to catch up to him. Using Bankai with a limiter really wore him out, not to mention his injuries. He would need rest to recover.

"_Mercer will be back eventually…since I'm not going to meet him._" Toshiro moved his arm for a moment and took the bracelet from his wrist. "_Use this…so you can understand him…let him know what happened, otherwise he'll go on a rampage._"

"_That's bad I'm guessing?_" Soi Fon raised an eyebrow but took the bracelet.

"_Let's just say he's…unpredictable._" Toshiro gave a final nod and fell into sleep.

* * *

**Ah, poor Toshiro. But he can't always be badass and not get hurt, and he had to use Bankai at some point or another. And i needed a way to get him still so Soi Fon could catch up. Everything is starting to come together, but can they save the island? Especially now that Hollows are working so well with the virus again?**

**Please continue to Review! (I've caught up with my done chapters, so now it may take longer for the next capters.)**


	15. A New Hunter

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

Giving out a light bell sound the butterfly landed on Byakuya's finger.

"_I'm with Captain Hitsugaya now. He was hurt by a Hunter while fighting off an adjuchas level Hollow and is currently unconscious right now. I'm expecting Mercer here soon._"

The message was from Soi Fon. Glad to know they'd made it on time, as they had felt the massive Spiritual Pressure outburst from his Bankai form, Byakuya let the butterfly go and turned to his partner.

"_Soi Fon is with Hitsugaya now._" He told the Substitute in Japanese. The fellow soldiers walking beside them in the base looked at them curiously before shaking their head and walking on. "_But he's been injured in a fight._"

"_Alright. Guess we'll have to fill in for him until he's recovered, right?_" Ichigo nodded.

"_Yes. You're going with the next armed force to the hive a few miles out. I'll be staying here to keep an eye out for signs of Mercer and Hitsugaya. If they make an appearance, I'll report it over the radio and you steer the military away._"

"_Right._" Ichigo nodded and rushed off to head out with the troops getting ready to move out.

Still inside, Byakuya made his way over to the screen Ichigo had once shown him. On it were the locations of all the Bloodtox pumps. Green meant they were on and working, yellow meant on stand by, red was broken, and black was off or destroyed. All of them were currently on, with a few showing red to show something had, most likely infected or Hollows, hit them hard.

Outside, Ichigo managed to convince the soldiers to let him through into the infected zone with them. He would ride in one of the tanks until they got there, where he would assist in killing off Hunters and protecting the tank so it could take down the hive. While on the move, the orange haired teen idly wondered if a hit from Getsuga Tensho, the Moon Fang Heaven-Piercer attack, would take out the hive in one sweep.

'_**Most likely.**_" Zangetsu replied to his thoughts. '_**If Toshiro's ice can so easily break it apart, a blast of power like that would leave nothing behind.**_'

'_Heh, I bet the big zits on the buildings make them weaker. Of course the ice brat can take it out with ice._' Hichigo laughed.

'_And then there's the fact that the virus doesn't like the cold._' Ichigo put in. '_Byakuya said something about Toshiro being immune to the virus because it can't handle his lower body temperature._'

'_Oh yeah, there's that too._' Hichigo snickered. '_But the point is this virus is nothing but a bug, and bugs are easily squashed!_'

'_I can't just use an attack like that with all these soldiers around, it'll blow our cover._' Ichigo warned.

'_Ha! What a pansy! So what if a couple humans get in the way, it gets rid of the hive, don't it?_'

'_The point in taking out the hives is to protect the people, not kill them you idiot Hollow!_'

'_**Now is not the time for a fight, Ichigo. You're nearly there.**_' Zangetsu interrupted the two.

Opening his eyes, Ichigo looked over the tank to see they were indeed only a black or two from the hive. Hollows were beginning to swarm at the thought of fresh souls, Hunters leading them to kill the humans for them. They were allied again, it seemed.

'_Right. Thanks Old Man Zangetsu._'

He hopped out of the tank, much to the soldiers dislike, and rushed head on towards the waiting Hollows.

"**Look at this, a human coming to his death!**" One of them sneered.

"**Careful, he can see us, and he has a blade.**" Another creeped around cautiously.

"**Who cares? Let's eat!**" A third leaped forward at the thought of an easy meal.

The orange haired teen smirked and unsheathed his forcefully sealed zanpaktou. It may be in a smaller, seemingly weak form, but it still had all its strength behind it and easily dispatched the Hollow. He followed up his strike with another at the Hunter nearest him to avoid suspicion, knowing the soldiers couldn't see the Hollows.

The Hunter didn't go down quite as easily, the small katana not going through the Hunter's thick skin as easily as it did Hollows.

'_Come on, King. I can take them out easily, and with Zangetsu still sealed!_' Hichigo grinned evilly inside his Inner World at the thought of a fight.

'_No way, not with humans around._' Ichigo snapped back, leaping around behind the Hunter and cutting through the back. This one seemed to be a little stronger than other Hunters. Its skin was thicker than most and it seemed somewhat larger.

"**Haha! The Soul Reaper thinks he can so easily kill a Leader Hunter!**" One of the Hollows snickered.

"What do you mean?" Ichigo growled, jumping out of the way to avoid the Leader Hunter, letting the officers come in with tanks to attack it. It distracted it enough to get it off his back while he got some answers.

"**The virus has taken to our power very well.**" The Hollow replied, stalking towards him. "**They've become stronger, managed to mutate and gain our powers. With us Hollows combined with the virus, we'd become invincible!**"

"Not on my watch."

He spun and killed the Hollow that had been sneaking up on him during their conversation. With that one down, he turned back to the others and bolted forward, killing them with easy sweeps of Zangetsu.

Two Hunters appeared, normal sized ones, but the military managed to hold them off. The three tanks, along with the two gunships assigned to them, turned towards the hive and began firing off their missiles. Another gunship came in.

"Ichigo, Mercer is in the third helicopter." Byakuya reported. "Captain Hitsugaya's Spiritual Pressure is mixed in with the weapons, making them more powerful. Continue protecting the military weapons while Mercer assists with the hive destruction."

"_Got it._" Ichigo said to the radio, and turned to where the two Hunters had run off towards a tank.

One turned back towards him, snarling as he jumped up to strike. With all the soldiers looking the other way he felt safe enough to release Zangetsu for a moment, letting the now giant black and silver blade cut easily through the Hunter. He cut it again, this time on the back, before jumping back and resealing his zanpaktou. With its spine cut in two places, it fell to the ground dead.

"**Gah! Damn you, Soul Reaper!**" Another group of Hollows came rushing at him.

_'I need to draw them away so I can use the Moon Fang Heaven-Piercer._' Ichigo thought out. '_And the Hunters too._'

'_**Use the Flash Step and gain their attention.**_' Zangetsu offered. '_**You'll have to draw them away slowly, or they'll lose interest.**_'

'_Right, thanks._' Ichigo dodged the claws of a Hollow, slicing through its mask before turning to the rest of the horde. The remaining two Hunters and the Leader Hunter were looking towards the tank, more interested in them than the Substitute. '_I'll try a kido spell._'

'_Wait, what?_' Hichigo suddenly sounded worried. _'Hang on, King! That's a really bad-_'

'_Here goes!_'

'_Don't do it you idiot!_'

"_Way of Destruction Number Four, Pale Lightning!_" Ichigo chanted despite his inner Hollow's protests against it.

For the most part, it did what it was supposed to do and struck the Leader Hunter in the back. Without the full chant, it was weaker than it could have been, and merely burned it, but gained its attention. As for the rest of the spell, Ichigo's left arm had some bad burns on his left arm now.

'_I told you, moron.'_ Hichigo growled.

'_Hey, it worked, didn't it?_' With Flash Step he went around the Leader Hunter's attack, gaining more of its attention from his quick escape, and went to bring the other two Hunter's attention to him. The Hollows were still trying to get to him; there was no losing their interest, what with him being the only Soul Reaper.

Everyone's attention was on him. With that done, he moved on, the horde of Hollows and three Hunters effectively going after him. He led them up to the rooftops so the attack wouldn't end up breaking one down.

"_Okay Zangetsu, let's do this._" They were atop a small skyscraper, him against twenty or so others. The katana in his hand became the giant blade and he turned to face his opponents.

The Hollows realized just how much Spiritual Pressure he had now, some of the weaker ones bending under the weight. The Hunters hissed at the unfamiliar presence in the air.

"_Moon Fang…_" Energy built up into the blade and he held it up to swing. "_Heaven-Piercer!_"

He swung the blade down and a pale blue beam of his Spirit Energy shot from the blade. It rocketed towards them and sliced right through, killing off the Hollows and severely injuring the Hunters.

'_Huh, would you look at that. They aint dead._' Hichigo looked un-amused, that much Ichigo could tell from his voice '_Come on, let me have some fun. I haven't been out in ages!_'

Knowing the Hollow wouldn't leave him alone until he did, Ichigo cautiously searched around for nearby humans. With the skyscraper being high off the ground, no one would really notice him unless a helicopter flew by.

'_Fine, but once they're dead, you're going back.'_ Ichigo growled and let some of his control over the Hollow go.

'_No problem!_' Hichigo laughed with glee at the thought of getting to tear something to shreds.

The white mask with red lines began to form over Ichigo's face and his eyes turned fully black with golden irises. The now Hollowfied Ichigo grinned madly at the Hunters standing before him.

"**Say, you'll give me a decent fight, right?**" Hichigo sneered at the three Hunters, the bracelet Ichigo wore making his voice come out in English. "**Or at least you'll try to stay alive. I don't get out very often, so let's have as much fun as possible!**"

With that said, Hichigo rushed at the three Hunters with a maniacal laugh of bloodlust. The first of the two normal Hunters jumped forward, claws armed for the kill. Skirting easily around those claws Hichigo ran the beast through, purposely avoiding the spine to let it live a little longer. After all, he didn't have to go back until they were dead, which meant he could take his time killing them.

The second rushed up behind him, aiming its jaws at the head of the human turned Hollow. Sensing this threat, Hichigo spun around, effectively decapitating the beast before turning back to his first victim. With that one, he continually cut it up until it no longer resembled a Hunter and more like a meat market.

The Leader Hunter became VERY interested in its new opponent. It smelled similar to that of the ones it had been earlier travelling with, but it still had a human stench. In the back of its mind came the command from its queen to search and destroy.

It obeyed without question.

The Leader Hunter, nearly twice the size of the others, leaped at Hichigo. The Hollow grinned even wider, if that was possible, and spun Zangetsu by the chain at the end, which lengthened to allow him to do so. As the beast came down to meet him, he tossed the zanpaktou up to intercept. Blood splashed from the wound as the blade bit deeply into its target, severing the spine.

"**Ha! Too easy!**' Hichigo sneered.

His sneer faded when the Leader Hunter stood once more.

"**The fuck? You're supposed to be dead.**"

'_This isn't right; something is off about that Hunter, and not just its size._' Ichigo glared through Hichigo's eyes.

Still alive and well, the Leader Hunter pounced the shocked Hollow, pinning him to the ground.

"**Tch, damn you.**" Hichigo snarled and pushed the creature off him with ease, aiming a small red orb of energy at him, a Bala. "**This time you die for good.**"

Being a Vasto Lorde level Hollow meant his Bala was very powerful, strong enough to put a deadly hole through the Hunter. If he had known that the Leader Hunter simply had a second spine, he could have simply cut it, but few knew of this new development among the virus.

'_Alright, you had your fun._' Ichigo warned.

"**Yeah, yeah, I get it. Besides…I need to think about this. I wanna know why it didn't die when I cut its spine.**"

Ichigo's eyes returned to their normal brown, and the mask cracked and faded. Where once stood a Hollow now stood the Hollow's master. He, too, wanted to know why these Leader Hunters were so different. Byakuya would have to be told about this.

"Kurosaki." Speak of the devil, thought Ichigo, as Byakuya came over the radio. "Mercer is heading in your direction. I'm not sure why, even Soi Fon doesn't have an answer. Be on guard, he could be up to something."

"_Alright, thanks for the heads up Byakuya._"

His eyes turned to the skies. Sure enough, a lone helicopter was heading his way, leaving the pile of rubble that was once a hive at its back. It stirred up the dust and dirt settled on the top of the skyscraper he was standing on as he landed. Strong winds threatened to topple him.

The blades slowed as the machine was turned off and a soldier stepped out from the cockpit. Confused, Ichigo raised an eyebrow at him.

"You do have one of the bracelets, right?" He asked, holding up his right wrist and pointing.

"Yeah, you're good." Ichigo showed off the silver jewelry before putting his arm down again.

"Okay, just making sure. That Soi Fon lady told me about them, since she suddenly started speaking English." He scratched his head and morphed to his normal form. The shape-shifting caught the attention of Hichigo, who Ichigo could tell was watching the confrontation with more interest than before. "Anyway, I saw the Leader Hunter run off and was coming to help, but you took care of it just fine."

"It was a little difficult." Ichigo replied, while his Hollow grumbled about the Substitute taking the credit for his work. "It was way different than the others."

Alex Mercer nodded, before looking around to make sure no one was catching on to them.

"Hey, I know that woman won't agree with me, but I'd like you to come with me for a moment. I can explain things, and with Toshiro out of the fights for a while, we could use a back up."

"Sorry, I gotta stick with the military. My job is to help keep them alive while distracting them from you and Toshiro, when he gets back into the fights."

"Hm, right." Alex thought about it for a moment, his eyes noticing the radio. "Well, now that I think about it, I can just connect my radio to the channel you guys have and explain it that way. Should have thought of that earlier."

"Sounds good, but you might hear Japanese every now and then."

"No doubt. I got used to it, Toshiro talks to himself sometimes."

Ichigo smirked, knowing full well that he was actually talking to Hyorinmaru.

"Well, we should probably go our separate ways now, before anyone notices."

"See ya." Alex gave a mock salute and resumed his disguise, stepping back into the chopper. While that started up, Ichigo used Flash Step to return to the military.

* * *

**I feel like these chapters are getting longer. Oh well, more for you to read ^^ If you have any questions about this chapter, because i feel like someone will, post a Review please ^^**

**Of course, compliments are cool too...you know, if that's okay with you, i mean. Yay.**


	16. The Informant

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

Teal eyes opened after a day's worth of rest. Toshiro found himself hidden away in an apartment room, his injuries fully healed and his Spiritual Pressure levels normal once more. He was still sore, however.

"_Soi Fon?_" His voice called out, searching for the petite woman, she wasn't there.

Hyorinmaru rested beside him on the small bed and he quickly picked it up, feeling better with the familiar weight of the blade at his back. His zanpaktou rumbled happily at being back in his normal place.

'_Were did Soi Fon go?_' Toshiro asked his zanpaktou.

'_**I'm not sure, but she left only a little while ago with Mercer. They have moved pretty far out, I can barely sense them.**_' The ice dragon replied.

'_Perhaps I should wait then.'_

'**_I fear not, someone is approaching, and I don't like the way his Spiritual Pressure feels._'**

Sensing his zanpaktou's agitation, Hitsugaya reached out to find this being for himself. It felt mostly human, but there was something within, a taint of virus inside.

'_Could it be Elizabeth?_' Toshiro backed up to the window, ready to jump out if the situation was too much for him.

'_**There is too much human for it to be her.**_' Hyorinmaru replied, still agitated by the presence closing in.

The presence stopped at the door. Hitsugaya was completely tense, ready to move at the slightest hint of an attack. Metal creaked as the doorknob turned and the old door began to open.

"Hm, could have sworn there was something here." It was a soldier, a high ranking officer by the looks of him. His eyes scanned the room.

'_He can't see me._' Toshiro relaxed slightly, though he faintly wondered why he could understand English. He'd given the bracelet to Soi Fon…right?

'_**Do not be fooled, Toshiro!**_' Hyorinmaru roared, startling his master from the ferocity in his dragon's voice.

The twitch in his body from the zanpaktou's rage led the soldier's eyes to him, and Toshiro realized the man could see him just fine.

"Ah, just who I was looking for. Mercer's new partner." He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Toshiro tried to wedge the window open without the soldier noticing, but found it was too rusty and couldn't be opened.

"And what do you want with me?" The white haired Captain glared, letting off a small burst of his Spiritual Pressure to hopefully bring the attention of the other Soul Reapers to him. Again, he wondered why the English words were coming so easily.

"Let's just say I want to give you a hand."

"The military hate Mercer."

"Yes, but…look, I've only recently figured out about the plan for nuking this place, and I can't let that happen. But if Mercer knew it was me trying to help him…well, we're not on friendly terms."

"And why should we be?"

"You seem to have Mercer on a tight leash, and I was hoping you could lead him through with some information I have. He wants to know what happened in the past to him, and I can help with that. But he has to do a couple things for me first."

The conversation was beginning to grab Toshiro's curiosity, despite Hyorinmaru's warning growls.

"Fine, I'm listening."

"Good." The officer grinned. "Despite the help of you foreigners, the spread of the virus keeps getting worse. The Bloodtox is nothing more than a nuisance now. It doesn't hurt them like it used to. Mercer is also becoming immune to it.

"The man Mercer needs to get information from is Raymond McMullen. He can get right to him if he lets himself get 'captured'."

"How do you plan on doing that? And what do you want in return?"

"If he gets to McMullen, the only way to get information out of him is by consuming him. While I don't much like the idea either, it'll leave the military in chaos for a while. Their nuking plans will be delayed."

Thinking this through, Toshiro had to admit it was a fair deal. However, the soldier obviously wanted the nuke plan to be completely thrown out, which meant after this was through, they weren't done yet. And Mercer would be able to know more about himself.

"What do I get in return for leading Mercer through with this?" The Captain asked.

"Well, I can keep the military off your back."

"I don't need help with that."

"Name a price then, and I'll see what I can do."

'_**I do not trust him.**_' Hyorinmaru grumbled.

'_There are not many options. Besides, he wants to stop his superiors from setting this place in flames with their bomb, which is our goal as well._'

'_**Very well, and though I need not warn you, tread carefully.**_'

"You'll have your answer next time we meet, when I can figure out the kind of price you need to pay for this mission." Toshiro answered.

The officer narrowed his eyes, unhappy with the conditions the young man had set before him. After a moment of the two staring each other down, he sighed and nodded in compliance.

"Fine. Just tell Mercer what I said and get him through to McMullen. After that, we'll make contact again."

"Count on it." Toshiro nodded, memorizing the man's Spiritual Pressure so he would be able to find him again. That strange feeling of infection within the soldier unnerved him, but he let it slide. Now was not the time to turn his back on this opportunity.

Once he was out of range, Toshiro let out a pent up breath and slumped against the wall. So many thoughts were rushing through his head and it was beginning to give him a headache.

First off, why could the man see him? And why could he still speak English without the bracelet? He looked at his wrist, confirming that the piece of jewelry was indeed gone. This was a matter for Kisuke to ponder.

And lastly, what was the strange infection resting within the man? He'd sensed the virus within others before, but something was off about his. Perhaps it was a mutated version of it; it did feel similar to that of a Hollow. Perhaps that's what let him see the Soul Reaper as well. He needed to look into this on his own before he spoke with Mercer.

His first action was to send a Hell Butterfly to Kisuke to report his ability to speak English without the bracelet. Once done, he left the room and quickly walked through the building to the outside.

There he was met by Soi Fon, Alex not far behind her.

"_I felt the rise in your Spiritual Pressure, are you okay?_" She questioned him, Mercer groaning behind her as she was speaking Japanese.

"_Yes._" Toshiro paused for a moment, debating something. "_I woke to find no one there, and I thought bringing you to me would be faster than trying to find you, and less stressful._"

She nodded in agreement before motioning Alex to join them.

"I think you should wear the bracelet, Mercer. It will be too much work to keep translating to each other since we only have one." She told him in English.

Hitsugaya opened his mouth to tell her he could actually speak English without it, but decided he wouldn't say anything until after Kisuke came up with a reason as to why he could. Instead, he watched the bracelet switch hands again and Alex shivered as the unfamiliar magic flowed through his infected body.

"_Well?_" Hitsugaya questioned in his native tongue. "_Can you understand us?_"

"_Yeah, actually…_" Mercer replied in perfect Japanese. "_Whoa, that's weird. It just flows right off my tongue._"

"_Good, that's how it should be._" Soi Fon nodded. _"It's good to know it works, I almost figured Kisuke would make it only work for Soul Reapers._"

"_Now all you need to do is translate for us._" Hitsugaya reminded them, seeing how Soi Fon wouldn't be able to understand English anymore, though he should have been in the same situation.

"_Yeah, 'course._" He scratched the back of his head, the language still alien on his tongue. "_Anyway, another hive is down, but I heard report of two more popping up after Soi Fon darted off to find you._"

"_Great, our work never ends._" Toshiro growled slightly. "_If there was a way to evacuate everyone, I could simply freeze the island and kill off the virus. The island itself would be unharmed, but the Blacklight virus would be gone._"

"_That's impossible; they would just nuke the place once everyone was off._" Alex replied.

"_Damn._" But the thought reminded Toshiro of his conversation with the soldier, who's name he'd failed to get, and the promise of a solution to this nuclear problem. With the virus continuing to spread, it seemed the military was ready and willing to resort to the catastrophic choice. "_We need to convince Kurosaki and Kuchiki to keep the military back and halt their plans for a nuclear bomb as much as possible. If they set it loose we'll be dead along with the virus._"

"_I needed to speak with them anyway about recent events; I'll go meet them in person to discuss it._" Soi Fon vanished with Flash Step.

'_**It's now or never, Toshiro.**_' Hyorinmaru mentally nudged his master.

'_I know, I was planning on it anyway.'_ "_Mercer, I need to speak with you._"

Alex turned to the small Captain with a confused expression.

"_You once told me you couldn't remember your past, that it came in bits and pieces._"

"_Yeah, it's a pain in the ass._" Alex replied.

"_I managed to get an anonymous tip that may help you solve that problem._"

Excited at the thought of remembering why he was like this, Alex turned to him with his full attention.

"_You need to find a man named Raymond McMullen._"

"_I knew he had something to do with this._" Mercer hissed under his breath.

_"Focus, Mercer. If you want to get close enough to him, you'll need to look like you've been captured. Your immunity to the Bloodtox can be an advantage here._"

"_You're suggesting I head into a Bloodtox coated area to let them take me in?_"

"_Yes. I'll be in the shadows to make sure nothing goes wrong._"

Though he looked a little unsure about the plan, Mercer nodded to show he would trust the Captain on this. Toshiro wondered if that trust was misplaced, as he himself got this plan from an enemy of Alex.

"_Alright, let's head out. We need to find where the most Bloodtox is being pumped out._"

* * *

**So here's the next chapter finally. Hm, Toshiro can speak English without the bracelet now, how curious. Time to bring back Kisuke! ^^**

**Please continue to Review! I love them!**


	17. Underground

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

When Ichigo returned with the soldiers, he joined Byakuya by the screen that showed how far the infection was spreading. Even though one hive had been destroyed, the spread of the virus only seemed to get larger.

"_At this rate they'll give up and leave this island for dead._" Ichigo growled at the red spreading across the island map.

"_Their plan is to set a nuclear bomb on this place, destroy any and all traces of the virus._" Byakuya said solemnly in reply.

_"Dammit, they don't care about their people at all._"

"_They do, Ichigo, that's why their willing to risk one small island if it saves the rest of America._"

"_It's still not fair._" He plopped angrily down into a chair nearby.

_"No, it's not, but Soul Society would do the same if it had to. However, while they are saving the living from the virus, they are not saving their souls from the mass of Hollows that will surely spawn after the explosion._"

"_And that's why we're here, I know._" The orange haired teen gave a loud sigh and leaned his head back.

Letting the human turned Soul Reaper pout for the time being, Byakuya focused on the map. The spread had stopped, and seemed to be lessening in population if the fading was to be believed. The red was growing lighter and fainter. He switched the screen over to the one that showed the Bloodtox generators. None were broken and all were pumping regularly. Not a single one off. Could that be what it was, it was finally taking effect? He switched it back. Little by little the red was fading.

He narrowed his steel gray eyes, pondering on what the virus was up to. No way could they be affected that quickly when before it barely worked.

Soi Fon entered, avoiding the three Super Soldiers roaming around. She's learned quickly that they could see her and avoided them. To her luck, the two she was looking for were off by themselves where not many could see them.

Ichigo noticed her first, the noble still glaring intently at the screen.

"_Captain Hitsugaya is fine now, and awake._" She reported. "_However, the recent events are making me worry._"

"_What recent events?_" Byakuya questioned.

"_After we destroyed the hive, two more came right back. And now…it's as if they're all vanishing. Even the Hollows are becoming few and far between. I can't tell where they are going._"

Eyes wide in shock, Byakuya instantly turned back to the screen. The petite Captain caught on, but was interrupted by Kurosaki.

"_Maybe the damn Bloodtox is finally building up enough to kill them off. As for the Hollows…hm…_" He trailed off.

_"There are no bodies around like when the Blacklight Virus victims die after a hive is destroyed._" Soi Fon countered.

"_Perhaps it's a good thing then, seeing as the military will delay their plans to bomb this island._" Byakuya noted, turning away from the screen again.

"_Which is another thing. If they don't put off their plans, the two of you need to find a way to halt them at all costs. Not only are the island residents at risk, but we are as well._"

"_Noted._" Byakuya nodded. "_But back to the matters at hand, we need to investigate where the virus has hidden itself and why. Kurosaki, go with Captain Soi Fon and find the reason behind these recent actions._"

"_Yeah, alright._" Ichigo sighed and swallowed his Soul Candy. His Soul Reaper form jumped out and the Mod Soul in his body quickly settled into Ichigo's usual pose, lazily resting in the chair with a scowl on his face.

Together with Soi Fon they snuck back out of the building and rushed off to look for the vanishing virus victims. They killed whatever Hollow they happened to pass, and checked up on military outposts and Bloodtox generators every now and then. It was at one such military outpost, stationed near some Bloodtox pumps waiting to be shipped out, that Ichigo's attention was snatched.

"Hey, so why have we been ordered to ship the big Bloodtox pump to the center of the city?" The soldier groaned, which is what first caught the Substitute's attention.

"All the infected are moving underground." His companion replied. "We're pumping the Bloodtox down under to bring them back up and kill it."

"_Kurosaki!_" Soi Fon snapped, realizing her partner was lagging.

"_Hang on._" He stopped her, turning towards the soldiers to continue listening.

"But they'll swarm right to it, won't they? Can we really hold them off long enough to get them all out?"

"Who knows. I heard the real goal is to smoke out Elizabeth, the one controlling the virus. Kill her, and the only threat left is Zeus."

"Isn't he helping us? Along with some kind of ice spirit?"

"That's just a bunch of rumors, Zeus is just trying to get Elizabeth out of the way so he can take over the virus."

Having heard enough, Ichigo met back up with the Squad Two Captain.

"_What did they say?_" She questioned.

"_The virus is underground, that's why we aren't seeing them._" Ichigo reported. "_They're going to pump the Bloodtox underground to smoke them out, along with Elizabeth._"

"_Then we need to make sure they accomplish that goal._" Soi Fon ordered, and for once, Ichigo didn't question it. "_I'll let Captain Hitsugaya know about this, he's with Mercer._"

A black butterfly was summoned to her hands and she quickly recorded the message before sending it off. Ichigo waited patiently for her to finish, listening for any other important information. Nothing popped up and the Captain finished her report before darting off with the Substitute close behind. They would await the Bloodtox pump at the place it was to be stationed and meet with the ice Captain and Mercer as well.

Further away, Toshiro listened to the message with an interested expression, ideas forming in his mind. A giant Bloodtox pump to smoke out Elizabeth? This could be perfect for them.

Alex noted the look in Toshiro's teal eyes and shivered slightly, unsure what the white haired Captain was planning. Trustworthy or not, the small Soul Reaper had his moments that gave the infected human the chills, and not from the kid's powers.

"_We're changing directions._" Hitsugaya spoke up suddenly.

"_Hm?_"

"_The virus went underground, the military is going to smoke them back out, along with Elizabeth._"

"_Elizabeth?_" Alex paused and thought things over. "_It's about time I paid her back anyway. I need some answers from her._"

"_How so?_" Toshiro questioned.

"_She's tied to Hope, Idaho. The place where the military first experimented with the virus. When it got out of hand, they nuked that place, too, but Elizabeth was taken out to study. She didn't die from the virus like everyone else there did. She became host to it._"

"_Interesting…_"Toshiro mused. "_Perhaps we can get some answers from her._"

"_She's behind all of this, the one controlling the virus, I'm sure…Though, I'm the one that released the virus._"

Walking away, Hitsugaya barely managed to catch the last bit. He froze and the temperature dropped dramatically.

"_You…You're the one…that started this outbreak?_" Inside his head, Hyorinmaru rumbled with fury.

_"I didn't want it to turn out this way!_" Alex immediately defended. "_I…I don't remember why I did it, or what happened before to make me do it. That's why I need to get to McMullen, to figure this all out!_"

"_Because of you the souls on this island are trapped in a living hell! It's because of you thousands are dying and becoming Hollows that will consume others!_" Toshiro snarled. "_This whole time I thought it was the military's fault for this outbreak, a mishap in the labs. But to find out it was you all along…_"

"_All I remember is the military had their guns aimed at me and I smashed the glass with the virus on the ground._" Mercer started to explain. _"I was one of the scientists working on the virus, and I ran…for some reason. When they cornered me, I broke the virus, and they killed me. I was supposed to die, but the virus got into me and kept me alive somehow._"

"_And why should I believe you?_"

"_I've been trying to fix my mistakes, haven't I? I'm getting my memories back little by little. I was betrayed by someone I thought I loved, stabbed in the back with a parasite, and have been running around trying to find the truth until I ran into you._"

Both of them were furious, nearly to the point of attacking. Hitsugaya couldn't believe Alex hadn't told him this before, and Alex had hoped the Captain would lay off so he could save the island from the outbreak that he had started.

"_Whatever situation forced my hand like that, it had to be to get back at Blackwatch, the military, and Gentek. If anyone is to blame, it's Gentek for creating the damn virus in the first place!_" Mercer continued, noticing the cold teal eyes watching him with a calculative glare. "_And now that Elizabeth is loose, she's doing more harm than I could possibly do by controlling the virus. She tried to kill off my sister!_"

Hitsugaya's glare faltered for a moment, thinking of what he would do if his own 'sister' had been taken by the virus. To be honest, he thought to himself, I would have done the same.

"_…Now's really not the time to be discussing this anyway._" Toshiro turned away. "_Once you get to McMullen and learn what you need to, you'll explain everything you can to me. I will not hear excuses._"

Mercer knew where to go, so Hitsugaya left him behind, using Flash Step to get there as quick as he could and as far from Mercer.

'_**Judging from what all has happened to him, can you really say he's that different from you?**_' Hyorinmaru called out.

'_We're completely different!_' Toshiro snapped back, still upset.

'_**Do not act so childish, Toshiro. He was betrayed by someone he was close to, for you that would be Kusaka.**_'

Hitsugaya paused in his run, remembering the event that Soul Society now called the Diamond Dust Rebellion.

'_**His sister was nearly killed by an enemy very like himself. For you, it was when Aizen, a soul Reaper like yourself, attacked Momo.**_'

The Captain balled up his fists at the memory, but could see his zanpaktou's point and where he was heading with it.

'_**You, yourself, search for the truth when it is not clear, just as Mercer is doing to find his memories.**_' Hyorinmaru finalized. '_**In that way, you are not completely different.**_'

'_It doesn't mean we're the same._' Hitsugaya grumbled. '_I'm not infested with a virus._'

'_**No, but it should make you realize that you wouldn't act all that differently from him in his situation. He probably hid the truth for a reason, just as you do sometimes.**_'

The Captain growled but gave in.

'_Mercer will catch up soon, this conversation will have to wait._' He rushed off once more.

'_**If you wish. But do not forget what I have said.**_'

'_I won't…_'

* * *

**So, next chapter up, hope it's good. Now Toshiro knows the truth behind the outbreak...or most of it. And we're about to get to the big battle with Elizabeth!**

**Please Review! It helps me through the piles of homework to write this! ^^**


	18. Bloodtox Battle

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

Byakuya was still in a Gigai as he arrived with the military, the Mod Soul in Ichigo with him. The owner of the body remained in Soul Reaper form however, as he was going to help the others protect the machine.

Well, that's what he wanted to do.

_"Kurosaki, get back in your body._" Soi Fon commanded. "_You can still fight, but it will look strange if you don't do it in your body since the Mod Soul can't._"

"_Great._" Ichigo grumbled, but obliged, kicking out the Mod Soul and getting back in his body. He already wanted Zangetsu's large sword form, the small katana didn't even feel anything like his Bankai form. The Substitute stood next to Byakuya, trying to make it convincing that they were working together rather than enemies. The noble was still planning ways to get back at the Substitute for past events.

It was a noticeable difference when Toshiro appeared before Mercer did, trying to hide his anger, though it showed in his eyes. Not to mention his temper was making the temperature drop.

"_Toshiro, is something wrong?_" Ichigo asked, knowing full well he was upset.

"_How many times, Kurosaki? It's Captain Hitsugaya._" The white haired Captain growled.

"_Yeah, so, is something wrong?_" The teen completely ignored the snap back.

Instead of replying, he sighed and turned just in time to see Alex rush over to them, disguised as a soldier. The other soldiers gave him weird looks, but without a Super Soldier around, they didn't have proof this new guy could actually be Mercer.

"_Just so you know, I can't use my weapon abilities while disguised._" Alex whispered to them in Japanese. _"It's too much for my body to handle._"

"_Understood._" Byakuya nodded, his gaze glancing at the silver bracelet to prove it was the reason for his sudden ability to speak his language.

Soi Fon noticed Alex glance at Toshiro wearily, as if worried the boy would betray him. The Captain didn't return the look, regaining his cold demeanor and turning to the task at hand.

"_Soi Fon and I will protect the soldiers guarding the pump._" Toshiro somewhat suggested. "_I'm assuming Kuchiki and Kurosaki are protecting the Bloodtox pump itself?_"

"_We are._" Byakuya nodded.

"_Then Mercer, you'll help where you can. Once Elizabeth comes out, you know what to do._" The tiny Captain finished.

"_Got it._" The infected man replied under his breath, moving to a hidden spot and transforming back to his normal self, summoning his claws.

"_We'll need to keep an eye on him, too._" Soi Fon said. "_The military will attack him once they notice him._"

_"I'll take care of that. I need to speak with him for a moment anyway._" Toshiro nodded to the petite Captain, walking over to the hidden infected.

Mercer tensed as he approached, worried the Captain wanted more information now, when they were about to turn on the pump.

"_This is a perfect chance, Mercer._" Hitsugaya told him. "O_nce you get Elizabeth, you can have the military capture you and get to McMullen. You'll be even closer this way because they know you took out their virus queen and will want to keep you close by._"

"_Won't they have more guards up?_" Alex questioned.

"_Not a problem for you, is it?_"

"_It is if I don't want to kill them._"

Toshiro smirked ever so slightly at that; he really was influencing Alex's actions. Already he was backing off of trying to kill soldiers and innocent people as much as possible, even if it meant getting his memories back.

"_Guess you'll need to find a way to get around that. Anyway, looks like they're starting._" Toshiro turned his teal gaze to the pump as it started moving, the thick red gas moving down into the underground passages. _"Try not to die._"

"_If I could, I'd be dead already._" Alex smirked at Toshiro's hidden joke.

The Captain nodded and used Flash Step to get above before releasing his zanpaktou. Hyorinmaru gave a pleased rumble, ready for the inevitable fight. Further away, Soi Fon went to a higher level to release Suzumebachi as well, the now tiny gold and black zanpaktou glittering in the high sun light.

The Hollows came first and the Captains sprang into action to keep them away from the humans. Byakuya and Ichigo waited for the Blacklight Virus beasts to appear, knowing that going to attack the Hollows would look suspicious. Alex kept hidden as well. His abilities worked pretty well on the masked spirits, but then the military would see him and not who he was attacking, thus forcing them to attack him.

The cold bothered the soldiers as Hitsugaya used his abilities against the onslaught, however they soon had infected to deal with, the Hunters pouncing through to stop the spread of the irritating poison.

Now the disguised Soul Reapers could fight, utilizing what power they could while the soldiers were distracted and stopping any of the infected getting to the pump. When the noise level was at its highest, Byakuya would use kido against the Hollows to help the Captains fighting against them.

With the chaos effectively covering him, Alex darted in to add in his part of the protection. If a soldier noticed and turned to fire at him, Hitsugaya would do his part to distract them with ice or kido to let the infected man move on.

A Hell Butterfly fluttered next to the white haired Captain.

"_Not now._" He hissed at it, dodging a Hollow strike and killing it without pause.

Instead of flying away to wait, the butterfly latched onto the back of his robe, rubbing its head against his neck to relay the message while he fought on.

'_Ah, good, you got it!_' Came Kisuke's voice. '_I tweaked the butterfly so it serves as a sort of telepathic radio. The issue with the bracelets is curious, and I need more information to-_'

'_Can't this wait?!_" Toshiro snarled back. '_We're a little busy._'

'_Oh?_'

The Captain had Hyorinmaru give a brief description of their current situation while he protected a grouping of soldiers from a Hunter and its pack of Hollows, freezing them in place before letting the soldiers' bullets smash them apart. It got rid of the ice completely.

'_Ah, I have some information that may help. I never expected you to need it though, so I never told you._'

'_What is it?!_' Toshiro growled; he could almost see Kisuke snapping open his fan in front of some devilish grin.

'_While the kido effects are visible, the kido itself is not; after all it is a technique of the Soul Reapers and something humans don't see. If you use something like Pale Lightning, what humans will see is you chanting and then something blowing up, no actual flash of light. And, though this is mainly something I thought up for Byakuya, the release forms of your swords are completely hidden. He may look a little strange swinging a katana around while he's truly directing his Shikai form, but it should be a lot better than trying to hit things one by one.'_

The young Captain thought this over.

'_Come to think of it,_' He muttered in his thoughts, '_They never see the ice I form when I attack_.'

'_Exactly! The effects wear off after a while since the ice eventually solidifies into the human vision but your ice usually melts by then anyway unless you say otherwise._'

'_Sometimes you're way too clever, Kisuke._' Toshiro cut down another Hollow before darting to Kuchiki's side.

_"Kisuke just sent a message; you can use Senbonsakura without the humans seeing its Shikai state._" He reported to the noble.

_"Is he sure?_" Byakuya checked his surroundings before casting another kido spell at a Hollow. His sword blocked off a Hunter that was getting to close. Pushing the beast back, he let Ichigo take care of it.

"_It's the same reason why no human can see all the ice I create._" Toshiro replied.

_"I see._"

"_The same goes for the kido. But still be careful._"

Sure Ichigo would pick up on it after Byakuya released the zanpaktou, Toshiro let him be and went to check on Mercer.

Alex took down another Hunter before the Captain got there, just in time for a Leader Hunter to come crashing through the perimeter walls to attack.

"_Nice timing._" Mercer said as Toshiro took up a stance next to him.

"_What is that?_" Toshiro spun the chain-blade in preparation to ensnare it.

"_Let's just say it's an evolved Hunter, a lot harder to kill._"

"_I haven't seen one before._"

"_They only came around recently._" Alex paused as it leapt for them. "_Here it comes!_"

Before it knew what had hit it, a chain blade had wrapped around its arm, freezing the limb solid, and a mutated blade arm stuck through him, aiming for one of the two spines. When the blade missed, Alex cursed and pushed back, barely missing a hit to the ribs by the Hunter's other arm. With a tug, Toshiro pulled off the frozen arm before dashing in with his blade to finish the job.

Now infuriated by the loss of a limb, the Leader Hunter turned to the tiny Captain as he sped forward. His claws came down to strike the Captain as his speed led him right to them. With the use of Flash Step he sidestepped the claws and dug his blade through the Hunter's back. A burst of Spiritual Pressure and the spine the blade was stuck through froze before shattering.

Toshiro did not know about the second spine, not until after he was forcefully grabbed by his hair and tossed aside. A claw had dug into his head and blood began to trail into his right eye.

'_Damn, didn't see that coming._' Shakily, the Captain stood and faced the Hunter, thankful that Alex was currently distracting it and aiming for the second spine.

'_**I can stop the wound from bleeding with ice, but it won't stay long.**_' Hyorinmaru rumbled. '_**Kill this Hunter and find a place where you can heal.**_'

'_We just need to bring out Elizabeth and finish her off quickly._'

A pause and Toshiro wondered what his dragon was doing. A burst of Spiritual Pressure and he caught on to why his dragon had paused.

'_**Byakuya has finally released his zanpaktou**._' Hyorinmaru reported. **'_It seems he will let Senbonsakura take care of the Hollows for now. Finish off the Hunter and-_'**

The dragon roared and Toshiro's head felt like it was on fire.

'_Hyorinmaru, what's wrong!?_' The Captain spoke out frantically.

Alex finished off the Hunter after getting a beating or two himself, but turned to see Toshiro was having trouble. He was holding his head in pain.

He struck down the Hollows coming after the weakened Captain before grabbing said Captain and pulling him out of the fight.

"_Hey, what's wrong?_" Alex asked, but the boy was unresponsive. "_Toshiro? Hey, answer me!_"

But the man could not reach Toshiro. At the moment, he was in his Inner World, sorting out a completely different battle.

* * *

**Ooh, cliffhangar, hehe. This one seemed short to me but its about as average with the others, so i guess its just me. Any questions? Review! Other comments are cool too. (Ha, that rhymed)**


	19. Immunity

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' **"Hollows/_Virus_**"(Virus meant to be underlined, my computer won't let me underline it)

* * *

Behind him were the thunderous growls of the giant ice dragon. In front of him was the twisted mass of flesh he had identified as the virus.

"_You do not belong here._" Toshiro glared calmly at the beast that had managed to invade his Inner World.

"_**We were warned about you.**_" Came a female voice, mixed in with various others. It seemed to have picked up Japanese. **"_The Hollows allied with us told us of the Soul Reapers._**"

"_Elizabeth._" He hissed and Hyorinmaru shifted slightly to glare furiously at the invader. The fact that her voice echoed the way a Hollow's did not help their mood.

"**_However, you cannot escape us._**" The virus continued with Elizabeth directing it. "**_We shall devour your soul and use this power to further evolve._**"

The mass twisted into a humanoid shape.

"**_Some of your power is ours already. We shall become invincible!_**"

Toshiro gaped as he realized the virus was trying to look like him; or rather, a twisted, psychotic version of him. What's worse is she had purposely made a hole through his chest to further taunt him, making him look like a Hollow. Behind him his zanpaktou snarled in rage and fed his master his power.

"_**I shall repeat what was said to you, demon.**_" Hyorinmaru thundered, a lightning strike crashing behind him with his rage. "**_You do not belong here!_"**

As a blizzard picked up, the virus screeched and launched forward. A pitiful copy of Hyorinmaru was aimed at the young Captain's heart.

_"How pathetic, to think you could use my own power against me._" The true Hyorinmaru manifested in its Shikai form into his hands. "_Ice Dragon Swirling Tail!_"

Once the name of the attack was shouted, a crescent of overflowing ice rushed head on at the virus.

It made to break apart and get around it, but the freezing cold made it move slowly, and it was hit by the ice before it could escape. Once more it screeched, furious that it had lost the fight and failed to absorb his powers.

"_You could never hope to devour me._" Toshiro stepped to the slowly degrading virus mass. "_You can't survive using my powers. After all, Elizabeth, you don't like the cold._"

With a shrill hiss, the virus died amongst the icy blizzard.

"_Was that all of it?_" Toshiro turned to his zanpaktou.

"_**I cannot sense it inside anywhere, but that does not mean this can't happen again.**_" Hyorinmaru replied. "_**Surely she will try once more; this icy body is a challenge to her.**_"

"_And if she can't devour me she'll at least try to kill me._"

"**_One can only assume she'll resort to that. Be on your guard, Toshiro._"**

"_I will, Hyorinmaru._"

With the battle to rid himself of the virus over, he closed his eyes to return to the real world.

He'd expected the battle would still be raging, but he did not expect what he was seeing now. Enormous tentacles of the virus were sprouting from the ground, the giant spiked pincers on the end both snatching people from the ground and devouring them or lifting heavy objects to throw at the pump.

Byakuya had abandoned his Gigai, as did Ichigo with his body, making them look as though they'd been injured to escape. Their bodies were pulled out by a helicopter that came to get the injured, narrowly escaping destruction when Alex blocked a car flying their way. With the two Soul Reapers out, they were using their full powers against the onslaught of the virus. Byakuya's Bankai swept around the battlefield to tear apart any unlucky Hollow or Hunter. Ichigo was using the speed and power of his own Bankai to race around destroying those infected he could while Soi Fon used her Shikai form to kill the virus in two blows. Not even the Blacklight Virus could escape her poison.

Now he just had to enter the fight to even the odds. Even with two Captains, one in Bankai, and the Captain level Substitute, the virus seemed to be beating the pump down. And Elizabeth was nowhere in sight, if Alex's participation meant anything.

"_About time you woke up._" Rasped a stern male voice.

A black cat leaped in front of him, looking just as ready for a fight as he did.

"_Soi Fon saw Alex trying to wake you and asked me to investigate._" Yoruichi explained. "_I healed that nasty head wound and it seems you did whatever you had to do in your Inner World, so get moving. They need your Bankai in there._"

"_Why so suddenly?_" Toshiro narrowed his eyes at the cat, standing fully.

"_Word passed around about your immunity to the virus due to your ice type zanpaktou._" She leaped onto his shoulder to finish explaining. "_A nice blizzard just might slow it down and piss off Elizabeth enough to bring her out._"

"_People will notice if it suddenly starts snowing._" Hitsugaya warned.

"_Blame it on global warming._" The cat replied nonchalantly. "_Besides, at the moment, we don't have much choice. Now go!_"

She leaped away again to check on the others and left the tiny Captain to debate over the pros and cons of releasing his Bankai for the sole purpose of creating a blizzard to slow down the virus.

"_Well, I'm sure the Head Captain will forgive me for this._" He finally caved and jumped into the air using footholds of Spiritual Pressure.

The Captains and Ichigo looked up once he moved into the air.

"_There he is, now we might be able to catch these virus bastards off guard._" Ichigo grinned.

Next to him, Mercer nodded, before darting off to avoid the soldiers. They were beginning to attack him less since he seemed to be not only avoiding them but helping them, but he could never be too careful.

One of the tentacles spotted him and sent a giant boulder from the destroyed road his way.

"_Now or never._" Toshiro scowled. "_Bankai!_"

Once again his Spiritual Pressure flowed out and the boulder was knocked to the side, not before getting frozen, and broke apart. The sky became thick with dark clouds and freezing winds stirred, threatening to let the blizzard loose. But Toshiro didn't want to freeze the poor soldiers; that would be counter-productive.

"What the hell? Where did this come from?!" A soldier near to Ichigo griped. The teen smirked slightly at his misfortune and darted off for the next Hollow. It tried to buddy up with a Hunter but both were taken down by his intense speed.

Byakuya let his blades connect with Toshiro's Spiritual Pressure, freezing them, before spreading that cold to all those hit by them. It only worked because Hitsugaya was assisting; now darting towards one of the giant tentacles.

"_Icicle Flock!_" A shower of icicles stabbed deeply into the giant before him.

It thrashed from the cold projectiles, reaching out to snatch up the tiny opponent, but could not reach. Toshiro dodged quickly around the pincers and made a cutting motion with Hyorinmaru. The resulting flow of ice severed the tentacle, killing it effectively.

With the icy Spiritual Pressure attached to them, Byakuya cut down any number of both infected and Hollows. Those that weren't killed by the blades froze over from the attached ice. Down near the pump, Soi Fon kept close guard, unleashing her poisonous strikes and Shunko attacks on those who dared get close. The Shunko allowed her to leap up and hit back any flying debris coming her way, courtesy of the giant tentacles. Ichigo engaged a duo of Leader Hunters head on, using his Hollow Mask to give him a little extra power as a Getsuga Tensho strike would blow away not only the Hunters but the people and buildings as well.

With the icy weather stalling the virus and invisible protectors attacking the weakened beasts, the military could proudly say they were winning. Blackwatch soldiers chose to fall back and circle around the pump, letting their phantom guardians do the fighting. Atop the pump, Soi Fon kept them from further harm.

'_We can win this, we can destroy the virus._' Ichigo mentally cheered.

'_**Don't celebrate just yet, Elizabeth has yet to surface.**_' Zangetsu chided.

'_She'll show up eventually._'

'_Ah, who cares!?_' Hichigo laughed wildly. '_Let me in on the fight, King, the soldiers are all bundled up around the ninja midget!_'

'_Not this time, I don't want the city turned to dust._'

'_Come on! Just for a minute or so._'

'_No!_'

His Hollow pouted but went silent, deciding he would obey for this time. After all, he did get to fight last time, so there weren't many excuses he could pull.

Simply glad his albino self was quiet, Ichigo killed a group of infected humans, pausing a moment to watch the souls move on with a grateful bow to him. He didn't have time to bow back as he was assaulted by another set of infected.

_'Elizabeth has to be coming soon._' Byakuya slaughtered more Hollows.

'_**I assume she's worried about Captain Hitsugaya's Spiritual Pressure.**_' Senbonsakura replied.

_'She's lost too many of her infected servants to care about that right now._'

'_**Then it's only a matter of time.**'_

Hoping Senbonsakura was right, Byakuya continued the attack.

Soi Fon watched over the soldiers circling around the Bloodtox pump, Yoruichi tense beside her. She couldn't exactly change form, since there weren't any clothes she could use and having a naked woman running around fighting wouldn't really help the situation.

'_**Think we can make it?**_' Suzumebachi asked her.

'_We'll be fine. Our mission is to protect what little soldiers are left around us._' The assassin replied.

'_**Alright, we'll do our best!**_'

A couple infected humans broke through Kurosaki's attacks, but the soldiers bullets quickly put them down. The only thing she really had to worry about was the debris rocketing towards them.

"What the hell do you think is happening?" A soldier turned and asked his partner, making the Squad Two Captain desperately want a translation bracelet.

"I'm not sure, but whatever it is, it's on our side."

"What about Zeus? I keep seeing him around, but he isn't attacking us."

"And whenever we try to attack him something gets in the way."

"If I had to make a guess, our invisible guards have somehow managed to tame him…just a guess, though."

"Bullshit, Zeus is a killer."

"But notice he hasn't killed any of us in a long time." The soldiers speaking paused. "In fact, ever since those foreigners came around, he's been pretty distant with the military. He's actually been really helpful."

"You don't think they have something to do with it, do you?"

"Impossible. Besides, they got shipped off earlier because of some heavy injuries. Now that they're gone, who's to stop Zeus from killing us?"

"Yeah, but, maybe they brought this 'invisible guardian' with them."

"I don't believe any of this shit. You morons actually think we have some kind of 'guardian angels' helping us?"

The officers looked at their commanding officer with a look that read they just might believe. He sighed and gave in. Besides, how else could they explain the hundreds of infected falling dead at their feet by some kind of unknown force? Not to mention the sudden blizzard.

Yoruichi smirked and nudged the small bracelet on her foreleg.

"_Soi Fon, could you do a favor for me?_" The she-cat asked in a seductive and devilish voice.

"_W-what is it, Lady Yoruichi?_" Soi Fon knew the tone, but dared not refuse her mistress.

"_I'm going to use a visible kido attack that will sail by the soldiers' heads. You're going to block it with a barrier._"

"_Wh-why am I doing this, Lady Yoruichi?_"

_"These poor soldiers need hope, and they seem to think we're guardian angels. I'm just going to make them trust us a little more, that's all._"

With that, she hopped off.

"_Lady Yoruichi, why?_" Soi Fon groaned.

"_Way of Destruction Number Thirty-One, Red Fire Cannon!_" Yoruichi called from afar.

The red beam shot forward from her paws, though her cat form made the spell rather weak.

"Wah!"

"What is that?"

"_Way of Binding Number Thirty-Nine, Round Lock Fan!_" Soi Fon spoke quickly.

The shield of condensed Spiritual Pressure blocked the red beam, making it burst a safe distance from the soldiers without them even feeling the explosive effects. They stood there and gaped at the spectacle.

"I…I believe we really are…protected by guardian angels…" The commanding officer stuttered.

Yoruichi stepped up next to a nervous Soi Fon with a wide grin on her feline face.

"_And that's how you ensure the loyalty of cowardly grunts._"

But her victory was short lived as the infected scampered off, the Hollows retreating with them to avoid the wrath of the Soul Reapers. The ground began to shake and they all felt the massive burst of the tainted Spiritual Pressure belonging to the virus.

"_Elizabeth._" The Soul Reapers and Alex Mercer all said together.

* * *

**I apologize for this taking longer than normal to post, i was getting into the actual fight with Elizabeth, so that chapter(s) may come sooner.**

**Please Review!**


	20. Plan A Strategy

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

The horrid beast that Elizabeth was currently residing in rose from the ground in a large street area some ways away. The head was a mass of flesh that was barely recognizable as a head, lifting itself up on a thick spine. Three tendrils grew up next to it, surrounding the spine in a thick protective barrier.

Alex stopped at the end of the alley he was running through to get to it. There, the four Soul Reapers and cat joined up with him.

"She sure looks like a virus queen." Ichigo grumbled in English, forgetting that it was Alex with the bracelet and not Toshiro or Soi Fon. He was quickly reminded when Alex showed it to him and he repeated himself in Japanese, though it was mainly for Soi Fon's benefit. Toshiro had yet to tell them his sudden ability to speak English, and Kisuke's telepathic Hell Butterfly kept fluttering around, waiting to speak with him.

"_She's protecting herself from me._" Alex replied to Ichigo's words. "_If I can get to her, I can consume her._"

"_Consume her?_" Soi Fon snapped.

_"It's the only way to get any information from her, and I think New York could go without her. I'm doing a favor to be honest._"

"_Although I agree I don't really like the method._"

"_No one ever does, but it's how I live._"

Though she still looked unhappy with the results, she backed down. Her particular type of fighting wouldn't help take down this monster unless she used Bankai, which she wasn't too keen on doing. Not when there were still civilians running around, trying desperately to escape the infection.

"_We need a plan._" Byakuya undid his Bankai, letting the sword form back together. Toshiro hovered above them, still in Bankai, as the cold was the only thing slowing the virus down. "_Jumping in blindly serves no purpose._"

"_Yeah, well, not really a time to think._" Mercer darted off before the Soul Reapers could stop him.

"_Oh come on._" Ichigo groaned.

"_Go after him and watch his back, Kurosaki._" Yoruichi jumped onto Soi Fon's shoulder to speak with them easier. "_The Captains and I will formulate a plan._"

"_Fine by me._" The Substitute vanished with Flash Step into the fray. Alex had realized going straight for the head was a bad idea, as a large hole would turn to him and open, puking out enormous chunks of rock that sent him flying. He healed in an instant, helped along when he consumed the infected, and ran right back into the fight.

"_He's as stubborn as Kurosaki._" Hitsugaya sighed, landing next to them and folding in his ice wings.

"_Not to mention as durable._" Yoruichi added on, her tail flicking. "_Now, what to do about that beast, hm?_"

Mercer paused when he sensed someone join his side, turning to see the orange haired teen Ichigo in his Bankai form, the long black blade held out in front of him. Finally getting a chance to see the teen up close, he realized his garb was unlike that of the Captain, and not just because he didn't have the white haori. It was tight over his torso and arms, white x bands over his hands and lower arms, and the middle held together by three x straps. The robe fluttered out behind him in three ragged ended tails.

"Come to join the fun?" Alex tilted his head at the teen, forgetting about Japanese for the moment.

"You could say that." Ichigo smirked, also in English, before raising his hand to his head. Alex watched in fascination as he pulled it over his head, creating his Hollow mask.

"Why do I not like that mask?" Alex suppressed a shudder.

"I'll explain later." His voice now had an echo to it, an echo that boded death. Alex really didn't like that mask, and neither did the virus infesting him, calling out for his blood.

"Well…whatever you do, don't kill Elizabeth. I need to get her out of that so I can consume her."

"What you just said makes me think of a Hollow." Ichigo glanced at him wearily with golden and black eyes.

"Look who's talking."

The teen couldn't reply to that. They made a silent agreement to cut off the distrust, and with yet another silent signal, both darted forward at Elizabeth in her monstrous form.

Ichigo struck first, his speed leading him right up to the bulbous head. Elizabeth sensed the Hollow in him and turned to attack, only to find he was behind her again. Each time she turned to strike, he was behind her, sometimes striking a possible fatal blow on her. Purely frustrated, she ducked her head down and gathered energy together.

"This doesn't look good, Ichigo!" Alex called.

"Yeah, back up!"

They darted separate ways just as Elizabeth released some kind of pulse wave that ruined the streets and killed anything close by. Both men made it away safely, pausing to take a breather. Ichigo removed his mask for a moment, taking in the fight and trying to see how they could weaken Elizabeth and let Alex get to her.

_"Kurosaki._"

Byakuya appeared by his side along with Soi Fon. The two Captains took place beside him.

"_There's something we need you to do._" Soi Fon turned to him, earning her a confused glance.

On the other side of the street, Alex found a cold breeze catch him moments before Toshiro landed next to him, still in Bankai. The infected man had to admit, the ice wings, claws and tail were pretty cool.

"The other Captains and I have a plan; this is what you need to do." He commanded.

Mercer listened closely to the tiny Captain's plan, smirking as he did so. The thought that Toshiro shouldn't be speaking English right now didn't so much as cross his mind.

"Alright then, we'll do things your way." He nodded, switching his arm into the blade Toshiro had seen before.

The plan was set up, everyone got into position. Elizabeth soon realized that there were no humans around, only a spare collection of her infected creatures and a Hunter or two. She tried calling more to her, only to find a barrier surrounding the area on all sides. A very powerful barrier at that.

The Flash Goddess joined her companions, having rushed through the Senkaimon to Kisuke's to change and get dressed before coming back, all in a matter of a minute. Her golden eyes stared at her target, purple hair flowing in its ponytail. Her skin was dark, her outfit black and mainly covering her chest and middle, along with the pants.

"_Alright, Soi Fon, the barriers are set!_" She called to the petite Captain. "_Time for the first phase!_"

"_Right, Lady Yoruichi._"

Both women glowed with white light as they used their Shunko, darting forward towards an enraged Elizabeth. The debris she shot was easily avoided by the two assassins and they hit her from either side with a powerful shockwave from their Shunko abilities.

Stunned, the bulbous head wobbled for a moment, leaving her vulnerable.

"_Hitsugaya! Kuchiki! Your turn!_" Yoruichi called out, signaling the start for phase two.

The smaller Captain went into the air with his wings, letting out a steady stream of his Spiritual Pressure in the form of icy weather. On a building near Elizabeth, Byakuya released Senbonsakura. The thousand blades flew through Toshiro's Spiritual Pressure before raining down on the beast. What did not cut was given nasty frostbite. The beast screeched, charging up for another of her shockwaves.

"_Kurosaki! Mercer! Hurry!_" Toshiro signaled, Flash Stepping away from the scene.

"_Alright._" Kurosaki nodded to Alex across the street, pulling the mask back over his face for phase three.

Alex went first, blade arm ready. Still seething at Toshiro, Elizabeth only barely registered Alex until he used one of his Devastator attacks to weaken the supports holding up the head. She wobbled dangerously, before more tendrils shot from the ground trying to protect the support. She turned to attack the viral hero.

Only to find he'd kept on running past after his attack, replaced by an orange haired teen with a mask, his sword practically gushing out black energy tinted with red.

"_Moon Fang…_" He lifted his blade and Flash Stepped towards the base, slicing towards it, "_…Heaven-Piercer!_"

The black and red Getsuga Tensho was launched from his blade in an enormous wave, the reason for the barriers. He could unleash his power full out without risk of harming anyone.

The extra tendrils did nothing to stop the power of the Substitute's most powerful attack. It practically obliterated the base of the monster, leaving the spine heavily weakened. Elizabeth's bulbous head fell with a crash to the ground, the ice on her from Hitsugaya and Kuchiki's combined attack breaking even more flesh off as it shattered.

She was down now. Alex reverted his arm back to normal and headed over to the head. Only problem now was how could he get her out of the mass of flesh without killing her? This stumped the others as well. Toshiro made to freeze her out when they got a new surprise.

More tendrils shot from the ground and forced them into a retreat as they attacked. Once they were far enough back, they wrapped around the weakened spine and lifted back up, immediately sending out another powerful crimson shockwave.

Still in shock that Elizabeth could still move, the wave hit them hard and sent them flying. Soi Fon fell into a building, debris falling atop her. Yoruichi slammed into one of her barriers and heard a bone or two crack from the harsh contact with the condensed spirit particles. Alex managed to right himself and made to catch Ichigo as he flew by but only ended up getting slammed into a building wall with the teen. Toshiro and Byakuya lay in the streets, the former's Bankai broken, and they were still recovering from the battering, unable to stand.

"The hell…?" Ichigo grunted, his mask gone and still feeling battered even after Alex attempted to help. Alex himself simply shook off the debris and righted his dislocated arm before turning to help the teen up.

"Guess she's tougher than we first thought." Alex growled. "We need to take her down again and actually get her out this time."

"Easier said then done." His companion snarled.

The infected man only nodded, eyes stuck on Elizabeth's horrid form as it once more began attacking those around her.

Things only seemed to get worse.

* * *

**I meant to post it sooner, but i had things get in the way. I'll have the next one up in an hour or two since it's almost done. Still review please!**


	21. Reinforcements

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

With Yoruichi's kido barriers still in place and holding, Elizabeth soon found herself without back up or anything to consume for energy. Her Hunters had died in the onslaught and no more could get through the barriers that even covered around the buildings and over the rooftops. As for her attackers, they had fled the scene and she couldn't find them.

The upside for her was that while her Hunters and infected were kept out, so were the military. Her assailants had no backup for themselves either, nor could they run away without opening the barrier, where she would let her forces take them out.

She currently bobbed her head around in the center of Times Square, waiting ever so patiently for the Soul Reapers and Mercer to surface once more. This got her thinking.

Said infectee had managed to find a building just inside the barrier where his Soul Reaper comrades could recover some of their strength. All had been badly hurt by the shockwave, even more so when they slammed into debris or tumbled across the road.

"_How come you're all fine and dandy, eh?_" Ichigo growled at Mercer.

"_Since I'm so ingrained with the virus I can regenerate pretty quickly. Just like how I morph my body into weapons, pretty much._" The viral man shrugged.

"_No fair._"

"_Now's not the time, Kurosaki._" Toshiro stood, a bit shaky, and gave the Substitute an icy glare. "_Right now we need to create another strategy to take her down. I should have realized she would regenerate the same way Mercer does. Next time we need to take her down quicker._"

"_We can't use the same strategy, she'll see it coming and counter accordingly._" Yoruichi sighed, tending to Soi Fon's broken arm. She desperately wished for a Squad Four member right now.

Thinking along the same lines as Toshiro looked her way, he remembered Kisuke's butterfly. The silly bug was clinging to the back of his haori, having not been noticed by anyone. He silently signaled for it to move up while the others began discussing strategy.

'_Oh, is the fight over?_' Kisuke questioned when the link was made.

'_Not quite. Rather, we're out of the fight for the time being and could really use a Squad Four member immediately._' Hitsugaya replied.

'_I thought you might need one from the sound of the fight you mentioned, so I had called one over just in case. I'll send him over immediately, he should be there in a few moments._'

'_Thank you. I'll get to you about the bracelet later, there's still business that needs to be taken care of._'

'_Very well._'

The butterfly flew off and hid in a crevice for the time being while the tiny Captain turned to his comrades. So far they hadn't come up with anything that could catch her off guard. She must have known the basics of their powers now, and that made it harder. Not to mention their condition made it that much harder. He too felt the pain of his cuts and bruises from tumbling down the broken road after the shockwave.

"_All we have to go off of is the knowledge that the base is her weakness right now._" Byakuya spoke. "_Perhaps Senbonsakura's Bankai can cut through it and Mercer can bring out Elizabeth._"

_"She knows about your little petal stunt._" Alex replied. "_She can harden her biomass like I can, meaning she can make them bounce off like pebbles._"

"_The base is not her only weakness._" Toshiro spoke, catching their attention. "_Remember, the virus doesn't like the cold. In the fight before hand she tried to consume me only to find Hyorinmaru in her way with a blizzard. She was gone seconds after._"

"_And that's something she can't protect herself from._" Yoruichi mused, her eyes still focused on where she was applying healing kido to Soi Fon's injuries. It wasn't her best ability, but it was helping with the fractures. "_Then we need to form a plan from that. Any ideas, Toshiro?_"

"_It's Captain Hitsugaya._" The white haired Captain corrected unconsciously.

"_I'm not in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads anymore, kid._" Yoruichi smirked, winking when he twitched at being called a kid.

"_What we need right now is for you guys to get patched up._" Alex stuffed his hands into his pockets. "_To be honest, I'm the only one that can fight full out right now._"

"_Some of us don't need to be directly in the fight._" Toshiro argued. "_In case you forgot, several of my techniques are long distance attacks. And for the cold to settle in all I need to do is be in the area._"

"_Alright, alright. But like I said, you guys need time to heal, I don't. I'll see what I can do._"

"_Mercer, wait!_" Soi Fon snapped, but her words fell on deaf ears.

However, a Senkaimon opened in front of him and he backpedaled to avoid hitting it. Only Toshiro didn't react to the sudden reveal as three figures stepped through. The first was a small young man with short black hair and a frightened looking face, thin and shivering. He had a medical bag strapped over his shoulders, marking him as a Squad Four member. The minute he stepped out he rushed around a stunned Alex over to Soi Fon, the most badly injured of their group.

Behind him were two familiar figures. Byakuya raised an eyebrow as his Lieutenant and younger sister stepped through, the latter being rather short in comparison to her brother with short black hair, part falling between violet eyes, and the Lieutenant badge strapped to her arm above the shorter sleeves of her uniform.

"_Renji, Rukia, what are you doing here?_" Ichigo gaped.

"_I'm assuming Kisuke sent them as reinforcements._" Toshiro replied, his tone slightly harsh. He hadn't expected this. Then a thought came to mind. He silenced and thought about it.

"_More like we asked him to let us through._" Rukia bowed in apology, expecting Renji to do the same, only to find him staring at Alex. The infected man glared right back, tempted to transform his arm into a claw just to freak the Soul Reaper out.

"_Guess he can see us, then?_" Renji asked the others.

"_Yeah, I can._" Alex replied, shocking Renji with his perfect Japanese. The man smirked and showed the silver bracelet, noticing the three new Soul Reapers also had bracelets. "_Who the hell are you?_"

"_Could ask you the same thing._"

They both took a menacing step towards the other.

"_There's not enough time for your quarrels._" Byakuya cut them off, standing with as much grace as he could, still looking dignified with so many injuries.

"_Captain, how did-?_" Renji started, but his Captain cut him off again.

"_Mercer, you have new reinforcements._" The noble said.

"_EH?_" Both Renji and Mercer questioned the noble Captain.

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes and stepped towards them, wincing at his pain, catching Rukia's attention.

"_The virus queen Elizabeth is weak to cold._" He told her. "_Since you also have an ice type zanpaktou, you can weaken her as I did before. And Renji's zanpaktou should be able to do considerate damage._"

The Lieutenants nodded in understanding.

"_However, do not kill Elizabeth. Mercer will explain._"

Now that they had the basics, the ice Captain returned to the wall and sat against it, waiting for his turn for the seventh seat, Hanatarou Yamada, to come to him. He had healed the worst of Soi Fon's injuries and was healing Yoruichi's fractured ribs.

They now had a capable healer and Mercer had backup. Perhaps this could turn the tide for them. Alex led the two Lieutenants back out, keeping them hidden in the shadows and showing them where the monstrous Elizabeth still waited to destroy the ones keeping up the barrier.

And she had company.

* * *

**Doing my best to get in chapters while doing homework, getting reviews helps, because it let me know people like it. If no one likes it, i stop...like with Multiverse Games. That one is officially on hiatus for a long time. Possibly even dead.**

**Anyway, please review!**


	22. Plan B Strategy

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

"Damn, where did the Hunters come from?" Alex snarled at the five or so Hunters roaming around the base of the monster. One of them was a Leader Hunter.

"You mean those weird…things, crawling around?" Renji questioned in English for Alex's benefit, looking unfazed by the beasts.

"Yeah."

"I'm surprised she didn't let the Hollows through as well." Rukia contemplated their situation, wondering how best to use Sode no Shirayuki to her advantage.

Mercer simply shrugged, morphing his arms into claws, the best for multiple enemies. This did startle the Soul Reapers and Rukia even let out a shocked squeak.

"Oh calm down, I'm on your side, remember?" Alex calmed, though he couldn't hide the smirk. "Besides, I hate to admit it but that white haired Captain somehow got me on a tight leash. I can't do anything without him knowing, and like the virus, I'm not a fan of the cold he gives out."

They didn't reply but he could tell they had relaxed somewhat, focusing on what they knew was a true threat at the moment.

"It took out three Captains, as well as Yoruichi and Ichigo." Rukia muttered. "Why does Captain Hitsugaya think we can make a difference?"

"We only lost because she caught us off guard. And with the barrier still up, she supposedly couldn't bring in people for her to consume and get energy from." Alex explained. "I'm still trying to figure out how she got the Hunters in here."

"Well, they won't be a problem." Renji suddenly stood, unsheathing his zanpaktou. "Zabimaru can take them all out easily."

"Go for their spines, you have to snap it to kill them." Alex told him as the red head walked out to start the fight. "And the big one has two so be careful!"

"Two spines? Is that even possible?" Rukia looked astonished.

"They evolved. Ichigo said it had something to do with the Hollows, which worries me."

"I agree. If Renji needs back up, you'll jump in?"

"Count on it." Mercer replied, clicking the claws on one hand together in anticipation. The minute Renji faltered he'd be in the fight.

Elizabeth let her Hunters do the fighting, simply bobbing back and forth as they stalked towards the now still red head. Blade at the ready, Renji waited for them to come to him, away from their queen.

One took the leap and he acted.

"_Roar, Zabimaru!_" He called out and his blade extended into one with segments, a tooth sticking out at the end of each segment. But its size wasn't the only difference, as now when he flicked the blade towards the oncoming Hunter, it extended, segments spearing in between as it stretched, and a network of wires and cords holding each piece together.

"Heh, nice." Alex nodded in approval. He'd seen the different zanpaktou of the Captains and each one had a uniqueness that intrigued him each time.

The Hunter that leaped him was sliced by Zabimaru, and again as he swung it around for a second hit. Renji wasn't taking any chances, as those claws looked pretty deadly. Another Hunter ran forward, not wanting to make itself vulnerable in the air. That didn't save him from Renji's quick strikes.

Renji had to retract the blade before going in for another strike and another Hunter took its chance. It moved faster than the blade retracted, cornering him.

Taking that as his signal Alex darted in with speed that Rukia didn't expect. One minute he was kneeling with her in the shadows, the next halfway to Renji, claws extended fully as he crashed into the Hunter and brutally tore it apart before consuming it. All that was left was a puddle of blood. It sickened the two Soul Reapers, not used to Mercer, but they were glad he was on their side.

The Hunter gave him quite a bit of energy and Alex quickly rounded on the next one, finding himself in a virus controlled bloodlust. Of course, Renji wouldn't be left out, and Alex could only consume beings he himself killed, so it somewhat frustrated him when the red head took a kill from him.

Soon only the Leader Hunter was next, its non existing sight settling warily on Alex and completely ignoring Renji. The two Blacklight Virus infectees had an intense stare down. Getting bored, Alex twitched, and the Hunter leapt. Like wild dogs fighting for territory the two of them fought with deadly fury.

Elizabeth realized her guards were weakening again and turned to those free to attack her, summoning eight spheres of green energy and launching them at Renji. It was then Rukia made her entrance, holding the blade out and spinning it slowly.

"_Dance, Sode no Shirayuki._"

The blade turned pure white and shortened somewhat, instead gaining a long white ribbon attached to the snow white hilt of her blade. It was a beautiful weapon, but Elizabeth cared not for shiny toys. The cold energy coming from the blade was reason enough for the monster to turn her attention to Rukia instead of Renji, her dislike of the cold seeing the petite Soul Reaper as her immediate threat. Renji was forced to hold off the explosive green orbs.

The white blade tip circled the ground jus as Elizabeth chucked debris at her.

"_First Dance, White Moon._" She chanted, and then Flash Stepped away from the flying debris.

A circle of ice appeared under Elizabeth before shooting into the air, freezing everything inside the circle. Since the monster had leaned forward to throw debris at the ice woman, her head remained free of the ice, but she was still stuck and could not move. She shrieked in fury and more Hunters crawled up from the underground.

"_Oh, that's where they came from._" Renji grimaced. He then shot Zabimaru forward to cut the large head away from the spine.

After he did that, he turned his attention to the Hunters. Alex was back, having consumed the Leader Hunter, and was tearing his enemies apart in a frenzy with his claws, switching to powerful Hammer fists at one point to crush one of the last ones into the pavement.

After taking out the Hunters, Mercer managed to calm himself and turned to the severed head. It seemed to be convulsing, which kept the others back out of disgust, though he stepped right over to it. Bits of flesh and viral tissue spread across the broken road before the beast finally spit out the queen. Elizabeth crouched on the ground for a moment to secure her footing before slowly turning to Alex with a look of fear.

"You end here." Alex snarled at her, and then consumed her.

* * *

**Kinda short, but it's the finale to the Elizabeth fight! Let me know your thoughts on it and Review!**


	23. Resolution

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

"_Hell Butterfly" _"Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

It was always one thing to watch Alex consume an infected beast, another to watch him consume something seemingly human. Still in utter shock at watching Alex mercilessly consume Elizabeth, Rukia and Renji kept their distance from him while the Captains, now fully recovered thanks to Hanatarou, came to speak with him.

"_We're not done yet._" Alex reminded them, mainly to Toshiro. "_I still need to get to McMullen._"

Hitsugaya nodded in understanding, remembering the promise he forced Alex to make about spilling the information about just who he was.

"_Captain?_" Rukia questioned.

Instead of answering at first, the small Captain sighed and stepped beside Alex.

"_I still have business with Mercer, so I ask you let me stay undercover for a while longer._" He said to the crowding of Soul Reapers, plus Yoruichi and Ichigo. "_I can't return to Soul Society just yet._"

"_What sort of business do you need from him?_" Byakuya questioned suspiciously.

"_There is information he is holding back and will not share it until he completes the memories. To do that, there is another man we must find. Once I can learn what I can from Mercer, I'll return_."

"_You better be sure about that._" Soi Fon growled.

"_Besides, there is still the issue with the nuclear explosive._" Alex suddenly reminded them.

"_Surely they don't still plan to set that off?!_"

_"Some of the Hunters consumed the soldiers, and I in turn consumed them. Apparently this place is considered too far gone, so they're just going to save themselves the trouble and nuke it. They've delayed it for now, hoping that their new 'guardian angels',_" He paused when Renji snickered, "_can help them, but it's only a matter of time._"

"_Alright then._" Yoruichi clapped her hands together. "_We'll keep working on a way to stop them from setting off the bomb, as that was our mission, and Toshiro can do his little side mission with Alex._"

They heard said Captain mumble under his breath about being called 'Captain Hitsugaya' but was ignored.

"_It seems we don't have many other options._" Byakuya reluctantly agreed to the she-cat. _"And it is our mission to protect the humans here from such a catastrophic event._"

"_If I may, Captain._" Renji turned to his superior. "_I think someone else could go with Captain Hitsugaya._"

"_I'll be fine on my own, Abarai._" Toshiro argued.

"_Ah, but we can never be too careful._" Yoruichi smirked. "_I heard from Soi Fon you got pretty badly hurt when an adjuchas and his buddies surrounded you._"

"_I was simply taken by surprise, it won't happen again._" The Captain turned slightly to hide his blush of embarrassment. He didn't think the petite Captain would tell, though this was Yoruichi they were speaking about.

"_Still, it would be wise to have someone else there that can serve as backup if Mercer is unavailable._" Byakuya turned to Renji. "_I would send Ichigo, but the two of us still have roles to play. You will go with Mercer and Captain Hitsugaya._"

"_Yes, Captain._" Renji bowed and stepped to Alex's other side, the latter glad to have someone as tall as he was for once on this crazy trip.

"_I'm no longer needed now that the fight is over and we discovered what Captain Hitsugaya was doing hiding from us._" Soi Fon reported. "_I'll be heading back to Soul Society._"

They all simply nodded. Another Senkaimon was opened and the petite Captain stepped through, followed by Yoruichi and Hanatarou. Rukia was to stay with Ichigo and Byakuya, her ice type zanpaktou could give them a possible advantage in future fights.

"_Well, if we're still playing our 'agent' roles, we should get back, right?_" Ichigo already looked bored, the others only just realizing he had cancelled his Bankai, Zangetsu strapped to his back. "_They probably think we're dead._"

The noble only turned away and Flash Stepped in the direction their Gigais had been taken. Sighing, Ichigo rushed after him, followed closely by Rukia.

"_Alright then._" Renji turned to his new companions, noticing how Alex still glanced warily at Toshiro. "_What are we doing?_"

"_I have to get to a guy known as Raymond McMullen. He has the answers I need._"

"_What answers?_"

Getting comfortable, Alex began explaining to Renji what he had told Toshiro. All about how Gentek created the Blacklight Virus for warfare and his part in it. While the Lieutenant was brought up to speed, Toshiro took a few steps away and called for the black butterfly, letting it land on his finger this time like a normal butterfly.

'_It seems like everyone is alright now, right?_' Kisuke questioned.

'_Yes, we made it out of the fight okay, thanks to Hanatarou, Renji and Rukia._'

'_Good. Now, about that translation bracelet. Who has yours right now, since you don't and I didn't see Soi Fon with it when she came through._'

'_Mercer does. We decided it would be easier for him to just speak Japanese since at the time only one of us should have been able to speak English._'

'_Hm. It may be Mercer's fault it happened._'

'_What do you mean?_'

'_For one thing, it wasn't supposed to work for Mercer, only Soul Reapers._'

There was a pause and Toshiro grew nervous. What could Alex possibly have done to the bracelet? There was no way he knew how to mess with Spiritual objects, especially ones designed by Kisuke.

'_What about how it made a copy to our soul forms?_'

'_No, that was meant to happen. It was so you could still get information if you're ever forced out of the Gigais. What wasn't supposed to happen was the permanent ability to speak English or having it work for Mercer. If what I hear about Mercer is true, it might be possible the virus got to the bracelet from him and it absorbed the language into your body. If he's had it for very long, take it off and see if he can still understand Japanese. If he can, it may be that your bracelet has taken on the virus's ability to absorb information into its wielder, which also allows it to work for him._'

'_Very well. And if he can't?_'

'_Then I'll need to see the bracelet myself to figure out what happened to it._'

A bell sound went off as the butterfly left him for the time being. Teal eyes turned back to look at Mercer, gazing at the bracelet still held tightly on his wrist.

"_Mercer._" He called, and the infected man looked at him, confused.

When the Captain motioned him to approach, he stood and walked over to the much smaller being. Renji just stayed put and watched.

"_What is it?_" Alex questioned.

"_Let me see the bracelet._"

He shrugged, thinking he wanted it so they all could speak English as Renji had one and so they could keep an eye on their things, before slipping off the bracelet and handing it over. The Captain did not put it on.

"_Can you still understand me?_" Toshiro asked instead, still in Japanese.

"_Yeah_." Alex replied.

There was silence for a moment. During that time, Alex looked between the bracelet, not on his wrist or Toshiro's, to his own wrist, and then to Toshiro. He was speaking Japanese without the bracelet, because Toshiro couldn't have been speaking English without it. Or so he thought, but he was indeed speaking Japanese.

"_Wait, how…_"

"_It looks like Kisuke's theory was right._" The Captain sighed. "_The virus inside you has changed the structure of the translation bracelet. If someone wears it long enough, then the language they're using it to speak in becomes a permanent part of their memory. Also, it was meant only for Soul Reapers, and yet it allowed you to speak Japanese._"

Mercer still looked confused.

"In short, the bracelet is like you and can absorb information, implanting it into whoever wears it long enough, even non Soul Reapers." Toshiro said, now speaking in English without the need of the bracelet.

"Amazing." Renji joined them. "Guess I'm the only one that needs the bracelet right now then."

"I'm sure it'll pick up the same technique the longer you stay around Mercer. But we can't stay here and talk all day, let's go."

* * *

**So I, uh, lied. I'm very far ahead in this story, i just don't want to swamp people with chapters. I'm almost finished and i'm coming to a part where i may need a vote for something(can't tell you what, it's a spoiler). So i might try to post one every day now. The reason i lagged with the chapters is so i could stay ahead because i have a habit of getting writer's block and leaving people hanging. So, while i tried to get over that, i could still post chapters! :) Your welcome!**

**Please review! Many thanks!**


	24. Connections

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

"_Are you sure it's okay to leave Renji with them, Brother?_" Rukia looked to said older brother.

_"Lieutenant Abarai should be fine, as it is Hitsugaya running the operation. With a Captain there, Abarai should keep a cool head about things._"

"_Yeah, if he doesn't get it frozen._" Ichigo muttered.

_"You're the one that could get frozen by him if you don't start calling him Captain._" Rukia snapped, hitting her much taller friend on the arm. He rubbed the spot but otherwise ignored it.

_"It's easy to tick him off._" Came the Substitute's excuse.

The Captain among them just sighed and led them inside to where their Gigais lay. As Ichigo had pointed out, they seemed to be frantic as they tried to wake them back up, only to find they wouldn't. Before they did anything drastic, the owners of the Gigai occupied them once more and awoke. Rukia stayed in the shadows and waited while the doctors checked them out, still confused about how they woke up suddenly.

They had to stay for the night, a 'just in case' matter, so they had Rukia scout around for information on the plans for the bomb if she could find it. She, too, learned to avoid the alert Super Soldiers roaming the current base they were in. One had nearly spotted her, making his way towards her, before she jumped out of view and he shook it off as nothing.

She caught a particularly good bit of information and settled in where no one could see her to listen.

"Heard about Mercer?" One of them asked the others around him.

"I heard he's turning the tide of this fight to our side." A female soldier stated. "Maybe we should consider partnering with him."

"No way, he's still a Blacklight Virus victim, and an extremely dangerous one." Yet another argued back.

"There's also rumor he's got these invisible guardian angels with him."

"Not invisible." One of the soldiers among them was a Super Soldier, making Rukia flinch. He didn't see them…right? "I saw them."

Rukia cringed but continued to listen. Her brother and Ichigo would need to be warned about this. If he recognized them now, their whole charade was over.

"What do you mean, saw them?" Another soldier began to tease, before he was cut off.

"It's true. I was altered to sense the virus; I guess I can see them too. There are also these giant monsters with white masks, they mainly attack the guardians. The monsters are working with the virus. As for the angels, they dress like Japanese people and have some interesting powers. One can turn his sword into thousands of petals that can still cut through things."

"Now you're really just spouting nonsense." The others snickered at him, but Rukia was worried. The one he had spoken about was her brother, and if he recognized Byakuya, they were doomed.

"I'm serious. Another could shoot out ice from his sword, and he looked like the white haired kid I saw before when we got close to Mercer that one time."

"Wait, white hair? Didn't one of the Japanese agents have white hair?" One of the soldiers stopped snickering and looked at the others.

"Yeah, but, he never met them." The soldier pointed to their Super ally. "And there's hardly anyone with white hair. Was he small…like a kid?"

The Super Soldier nodded and Rukia grimaced, Flash Stepping back to where her brother was. Since he was still surrounded by others, the only acknowledgement he could make was looking at her for a brief moment and looking in her general direction.

"_We have a problem; the Super Soldiers saw us and the Hollows clearly. Some of them are already making connections to Captain Hitsugaya, if the soldier recognizes you, things can go down hill quickly._"

Byakuya frowned deeply, pretending to mess with the sheets on the infirmary bed so as not to arouse suspicion.

"_As for the plans about the bomb, they're still delaying it. We have time to cut off the virus before they resort to that strategy if all goes well._"

He gave the slightest of nods and stood, much to the nearest nurse's dismay, and stepped over to Ichigo. She took that as her signal to return to snooping and pivoted around before deciding she would gather information from outside and see if there was anything recent about Alex. Of course she was very careful to avoid any and all Super Soldiers lounging around or keeping guard.

Turns out, there were even more sensors around the base, even aerial ones now, and double the guards, with a Super Soldier at every corner. Even with the recent battle they didn't trust Mercer anywhere near them and were taking extreme measures to keep him out. Of course, having Renji and Toshiro with him would make his job easy. It made her wonder how they were doing.

Inside, Ichigo was filled in on what Byakuya had been told, his face paling.

"_Great, we'll be recognized. Time to get out of here._" The teen stood.

_"Hold on, we may still have an advantage. Since they are the only ones that can see us, they'll be shrugged off as delusional._"

"_Yeah, but, they managed to connect Toshiro to who they thought was Toshiro. Who's to say they won't recognize you and me?_"

"_Just let me talk._" The noble's tone was losing its calm and growing irritated.

Completely ignoring the fussing nurse, as they were perfectly fine except for a few scratches, they stepped out of the infirmary and into the open part of the base. Byakuya purposely strolled right past the Super Soldier and his comrades. Ichigo couldn't help but snicker as the big man did a humorous double-take and then made the decision to step towards the Captain.

"Hey! Mr. Kuchiki, right?" The soldier stepped in front of Byakuya, standing a little taller than him, which unnerved the noble considering they were genetically enhanced killing machines. That, and he didn't like looking up at people. "Were you…were you out at the big fight around the Bloodtox pump?"

"I was for a time, as was my associate, but we were taken out rather quickly due to the increased swarm and our injuries became too great to stay there any longer." Byakuya cited off. "We could not risk getting killed and were pulled out of the fight. We've only recently awaken from a brief coma caused by our injuries."

"But…"

"Yes?" The Kuchiki noble raised an eyebrow. Kurosaki behind him tried to look bored while in truth he was doing his best not to laugh at the soldier's stupidity written all over his face.

"I saw you there. You had on a white robe…and your sword turned into thousands of flower petals that cut through big masked monsters."

"I assure you, my sword does no such thing." Though he felt uncomfortable doing so, he took out Senbonsakura and held it out for the soldier to see. "This sword cannot split apart. It is simply a means for me and my comrade to defend ourselves." He re-sheathed the blade.

'_**How cruel of you, calling me a simple blade.**_' Senbonsakura teased lightly, but was for the most part ignored.

"I know what I saw." The big soldier seemed to be pouting of all things. "You and that white haired kid were both there." He looked to Ichigo "And he was there too, but he didn't have a white robe, and he moved really fast."

The orange haired teen tried his hardest to look confused, he really did, but the sudden attention to him had startled him and he was visibly nervous about answering.

'_**Calm down, Ichigo. You're giving yourself away.**_' Zangetsu warned.

'_Feh, he sucks at lying._' Hichigo grumbled.

The two inner voices weren't helping Ichigo any, and now he looked frustrated as well as nervous.

"Both of us were taken out of that fight, soldier, there is no way he could have been there." Byakuya gave a disappointed sigh, both for effect and to show his irritation to Kurosaki, who scowled.

"Well, he knows something. I can see it on his face." The soldier glared defiantly at the strawberry head.

"Perhaps he had a hallucination while in his coma. Whatever the case, he was here with me the entire time, or so the nurses say. Ask them if you wish to clarify."

Leaving the soldier to gape in confusion, Byakuya stepped around and continued walking past and out of the base. The Substitute kept close behind, unsure of what to do.

They were met by Rukia.

"_It seems despite previous events they don't trust Mercer any better._" She reported. "_Many still talk about how terrible and dangerous he is, and among those are the ones who wish to personally shoot him._"

She made a face at the last part before regaining her stiff noble posture.

"_Understandable, considering their history with him._" The eldest Kuchiki looked towards Ichigo while talking to his sister.

"_What are we going to do about him, Brother? After all, he is heavily infected. This virus is like a Hollow, it consumes the living for energy. He does the same, right?_"

_"Yeah, but, Alex seems to have a clearer head on him since Toshiro found him._" Ichigo responded. "_Maybe there's a way to cure him._"

_"It depends on what they find from McMullen, the man behind Mercer's past._" Byakuya was deep in thought. "_Lieutenant Abarai should report with their findings, when they have them._"

_"Makes me wonder how they're doing._" Ichigo mused.

_"Should I check in on them?_" Rukia turned to leave.

"_No, they can handle themselves. They'll report when they're ready. Lieutenant Abarai is also there to make sure Captain Hitsugaya doesn't go back into hiding by refusing to report to us._"

* * *

**Here's the next bit. Tell me, should i just go ahead and post all the chapters since i'm done, or keep with the one a day thing? I don't want to give anyone following a big amount to read in one day(and i like cliffhangers, hahaha) but i can be forgetful.**

**Can't wait to hear from ya! Review!**


	25. Dangerous Thoughts

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

"You're way to frickin' paranoid, you know that?" Renji grumbled.

"I'd like to see you try and survive the military when you have no idea why they've been after your head and were supposedly dead." Alex spat back.

"Okay, that's pretty harsh. But seriously, there wasn't any need to attack the guy like that."

"His posture made it obvious he was military."

"If he was military, wouldn't he be in uniform?"

"Know what, I really don't like you." Mercer's hand became the large black claws as his patience grew thin. Renji flinched, his hand going towards Zabimaru's hilt.

"Mercer! Abarai! Shut up!" The temperature dropped as the tiny Captain finally lost his own patience. Ice formed around his feet. "Mercer, transforming in public is a sure fire way to get the military on your tail!"

The infectee grumbled profanely, but reduced his claws back to a hand anyway, glaring daggers at the red-head beside him.

"_Abarai, as a Lieutenant you should know better than to provoke an ally._"

"_Sorry, Captain._" Renji bowed deeply in apology.

"Pansy." Alex muttered.

"How about you say that to my face!?"

"_Enough!_"

The men froze, realizing just how angry their Captain was, the ice around his feet quickly crawling up the walls and the air turning freezing around them. Knowing full well what he could do, Renji silenced and bowed once more in apology. Inside Alex, the virus screamed to be relieved of the cold weather, and he obliged by apologizing as well so Toshiro would get rid of the ice.

Taking a deep breath the white haired Captain let the air return to normal, water pooling around him from where the ice had been moments before.

"If you're done being complete imbeciles I'd like to find McMullen before the day is out. We lost our chance to get close to him with the Bloodtox pump due to the fight with Elizabeth and our conditions."

"Oh, and I suppose you have an idea?" Alex snarled, his grumpy mood had gotten worse with Renji around.

"They make the Bloodtox somewhere on this island in a facility, correct? You simply need to make it look like you're sneaking in to destroy the place and allow yourself to get captured. They'll take you right to McMullen."

Completely caught off guard by that, Mercer stopped to take in what the child had said.

"He's not called a prodigy for nothing." Renji snickered, following behind as Hitsugaya kept walking on.

Remembering only he was visible, Alex put himself together and kept walking after them. They were out of the alleys, which meant he couldn't be caught talking to himself. He decided to switch to Japanese.

"_I still didn't expect such a quick answer._" Alex growled at the Lieutenant.

"_You better get used to it. That, and the cold._"

"_I hate the cold._"

"_The virus, I'm guessing?_"

"_That and I never really did like the cold. Even before this whole thing happened, I do remember that I wore this jacket and hoodie for a reason, and one of those was I that hated being cold._"

"_Then I suggest not making Captain Hitsugaya mad._"

"_You'd do well to live by those words yourself, Abarai._" Toshiro grumbled.

"_Uh, right, Captain._"

Toshiro was thankful for the brief silence after that, able to reach out with his Spiritual Pressure for anyone surrounded by Bloodtox. It wasn't exactly easy, a gas facility wasn't something as simple to find as a person.

'_Is there anyway you can sniff out the Bloodtox, Hyorinmaru?_' Toshiro asked his zanpaktou, seeming hopeful.

'_**Bloodtox is a gas that kills off the virus, it is odorless and harmless to humans, Soul Reapers, and in turn me. The only indication that Bloodtox is being pumped would be a red vapor, but that too dissipates into the air after some time.**_'

'_Damn. Looks like we'll need to do things the hard way._'

'_**Sadly.**_'

The two behind him were grumbling at each other again, earning Alex some cold stares for 'talking to himself' and overall attracting too much attention.

"_Abarai, come with me. Mercer, join us when no one can see you._" Toshiro then darted up onto the rooftops. He'd added the last part because a few military personnel were roaming and Alex's seemingly talking to no one was getting the bad kind of attention.

Renji was quick to follow the Captain and the two Soul Reapers waited for their virus infected comrade before Hitsugaya said his theory, not realizing he'd switched back to English.

"The facility isn't traceable by our senses, so we need a different way of finding it." He spoke out.

"Considering the fact that I'm around, it would be heavily guarded, right?" Alex suggested.

"That's true." Renji put his hand to his chin in thought. "So wherever there are a lot of soldiers, it might be a Bloodtox facility."

"Or a military base." Toshiro reminded. "Must I tell you how many of those there are?"

"Oh…"

"But that's one clue." Alex argued back. "And it's a start. If it's where they're making it, there's surely going to be some kind of red haze around it from all that gas."

"As well as various other places with Bloodtox pumps. I noticed they have them set up around the bases now as well to keep you out, Mercer."

"Dammit." Alex punched a wall, startling Toshiro and Renji as it cracked and gave way easily. Renji hadn't expected such power, but for Toshiro, he hadn't expected Alex to suddenly be so irritable. He wondered what was getting to him. "Wait, I have an idea."

Just like that, he darted off, ignoring Toshiro's frustrated call of his last name. He disguised himself as one of the civilians and walked among them. Only the Soul Reapers were able to separate him from the crowd. They noticed with dread that he was heading right for one of the high ranking officers lounging about in the street, gun held loosely in his hands.

"What is he…" Renji was unfamiliar with Alex's 'interrogation' techniques, but Toshiro had the misfortune to witness it once before and did his best to stamp the habit out of the man. So he was therefore the first to take action.

"_Way of Binding Number Four, Crawling Rope!_"

The yellow energy bonds darted towards their targeted and constricted around him. Those around him stared curiously as Alex fidgeted with bindings they couldn't see, hidden in the disguise of a common pedestrian. The caster of those bindings quickly appeared in front of him.

"_I said once before, as a Soul Reaper our job is to protect humans. What you're about to do will bring you to the level of a Hollow and I will not hesitate to kill you._" Toshiro growled.

"_It's one damned soldier and no one will miss him._" Alex snarled back. "_Think of all the fucking lives that bastard has murdered, eh?_"

"_And think of all the lives he's trying to save by stopping this outbreak! It may take time, but we will find that facility without the need for you to consume him!_"

"Oh fuck off and let me make things easier! I want my answers!"

"And you'll get them!" Toshiro let the temperature drop around Alex to further discomfort him, ice crawling up his legs. People began to panic, thinking the man before them was completely insane and not liking the sudden cold weather. "But we'll do it without you consuming the souls of humans!"

Though the man was still fuming and needed something to take his anger out on, he was attracting far too much attention and the cold was not helping his comfort level any. The binding spell was weak, but with the virus part of him subdued by Hitsugaya's ice, he couldn't summon up the strength to break it. Very reluctantly he calmed down and settled for an icy glare and an animalistic growl. His glare couldn't compete with the icier glare Toshiro was giving him for even considering the idea of consuming someone.

"Fine, we'll do it your way." Mercer practically spat the words out.

Glad he was submissive again, the tiny Captain sighed and calmed himself, releasing the binding but not relieving the man of his Spiritual Pressure. The cold would remain until he could be sure Alex was calm once more and in no way hungry for human souls. If they had to, he would take the man on a detour so he could consume the infected instead, which would at least keep him off the military. They were doing so well, perhaps a little more and they would come to trust Mercer in this fight.

The arrival of Renji gave a good enough distraction to keep Mercer's mind off the soldier only a few yards away, giving him a curious look, and Toshiro let his icy Spiritual Pressure disperse some.

"I think I might have found a lead. There's an area further north that looks pretty hazed over for a large area." Abarai reported. "And if the…helicopters," he stumbled over the new word, "are any indication, then I'd say it's heavily guarded."

"Good work, Lieutenant. We'll head that way immediately."

Grumbling profanely once more, Alex brushed off the ice and followed the Soul Reapers as they headed over, changing back to normal when no one was around.

He did feel a bit better after remembering that he would soon learn everything from McMullen and finally learn the truth behind how he became so infected.

* * *

**So Renji brings out the bad side of Mercer, and his quest for answers is making him desperate. Possible conflict? Who knows!**

**Still waiting for an answer about whether or not to post all the chapters in one or keep to the one a day like i do now(though this one was a little late in the day thanks to homework)**

**Review with your answer!**


	26. Infiltration

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

The thick red haze was making their comrade feel itchy even from the distance he was at. If that wasn't a sure sign that this was the Bloodtox facility, then they had no clue what could be.

"Damn, do I have to go over there?" Alex grumbled, extremely uncomfortable among the thick Bloodtox concentration.

"It's your only ticket to finding McMullen." Toshiro replied. "While it is irritating, it won't kill you, remember that."

"Yeah, I know, but still." He coughed again, the virus screaming at him to steer away from the annoying toxin. "Okay, run the plan by me again."

"You'll disguise as a soldier and stroll in, looking as if you're going to destroy the facility but not being too obvious. The gas begins to get to you and you begin to 'react'. By then, they should realize who you are and act accordingly by taking you in."

"Don't go down without some kind of fight, though." Renji smirked. "Make it look like you actually want to destroy the place."

"In all honesty I kinda do, so that shouldn't be hard."

He cursed a few times at his predicament before donning a military guise and jumping in.

"_What do we do, Captain?_" Renji questioned.

"_Keep an eye on him, both to make sure he doesn't consume humans and to make sure things go according to plan._" The ice Captain replied.

Nodding, Renji turned back to watch as Mercer stalked with importance towards one of the Bloodtox generators. He spanned his gaze around before reverting back to his normal self and destroying the generator. Six others still lingered around, so he wasn't really hurting them much by destroying one. Renji didn't quite agree with it but figured a little destruction was a good thing for Alex's little scheme.

The noise drew attention, but he was already disguised again and pretending he had no idea what happened. He was coughing again, though, which grabbed attention.

"_He's playing his role almost too well._" Toshiro rolled his eyes as Alex continued to try and hide his true identity.

Once a Super Soldier came strolling in, the infected man abandoned all caution and reverted back, bringing out his sword and slicing up another generator and a pump before the bullets did start to weaken him and he slowed in his assault.

The Soul Reapers felt proud that, through the entire onslaught, he didn't once turn his attacks on the people, settling for taking any frustration out on the machines.

Finally he couldn't keep up the attacks, the Bloodtox getting to his weakened, unfed state, and he fell to the ground. His Soul Reaper companions came to his side, forgetting the Super Soldier, to make sure things went smoothly.

"Looks like he's down." A soldier commented, kicking the unconscious Alex for good measure. "Let's get him to Gentek, they'll know what to do with him."

All except for the Super Soldier bent to pick up the infectee. The latter was glaring intently at the Soul Reapers.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked them.

Toshiro froze, remembering that these certain soldiers could see them, and scowled at the soldier before vanishing with Flash Step. A confused Renji was quick to follow, leaving their stupefied witness behind.

"_I'd forgotten those bastards could see us._" Toshiro growled as they watched Mercer being put into a van from a safer distance. "_This could cause problems._"

As if on cue, a Hell Butterfly fluttered to him with Rukia's report about the soldiers at base beginning to connect him and Byakuya, as well as Ichigo, to the battle with Elizabeth and her infected army. He cursed again but reigned in his temper at Hyorinmaru's request before he froze the place solid. They needed to be far more careful about their future actions with Alex.

Instead of running next to the van as Toshiro had first planned, the two of them followed the van from the rooftops, sometimes needing to follow Alex's Spiritual Pressure as the buildings became too tall to follow by sight.

Gentek was situated in one of the tall skyscrapers, their name in giant neon letters above the large entry doors. It was here Alex was carted through, followed closely by invisible Soul Reapers thanks to the kido spell Kyokkou, Bent Light. Now even the Super Soldiers couldn't see them. Though they could easily tell Alex was now struggling to fake unconsciousness, waiting for his opportunity to spring up and get to McMullen, the fewer and fewer soldiers around him were none the wiser to their dangerous time bomb.

Toshiro released the kido spell on himself and hung back as Alex was carted away, knowing from then on the man could handle himself. If all went well, only McMullen would be consumed. And if reports about this man were to be believed, the guy would be going to Hell anyway for his efforts. Alex would just be speeding up the death date.

As for himself, Hitsugaya decided he would search the building on his own, learn in his own way what was going on here. Gentek was behind the virus, from what he knew, and therefore deserved having Mercer run rampant through their building. But was Alex himself all that innocent? According to fuzzy memories, he was the one that broke the vial and let the virus loose on Manhattan Island.

It wasn't hard to find what he was looking for, a room full of file cabinets. No one was in the room, so he took it upon himself to look through the files, searching for any sign of Mercer. Whether looking for him under 'Alex', 'Mercer' or 'Zeus', he couldn't find anything. There was one other file cabinet, one that was locked tight. A small kido spell broke that open real quick.

"_Why are you so hard to find?_" Toshiro grumbled to himself.

Very few files were in the locked drawer, but one of them was the one he wanted. Alex Mercer was labeled clearly on the tab and he opened the folder without hesitation, speed reading through the contents.

What he found didn't exactly please him.

While the Captain had gone his own direction, Renji continued to tail Alex.

"I think we're getting close to McMullen." Renji whispered to Mercer, having taken off the kido spell surrounding him.

Alex opened his eyes and decided he was bored being carted through the building anyway. A quick flip and some well aimed punches and he was free to search for his target. He was tempted to consume one of them for the location of McMullen, but didn't want to risk it with Renji around. However, he was exhausted, having not consumed anything in a while, not to mention trying to recover from the Bloodtox and the attack.

"Let's hurry, don't know if I'll get through another fight before going down again." Mercer snapped.

The Lieutenant noted how Mercer did look somewhat tired and decided he would help find McMullen as well.

"If he's the boss, he'll probably be top floor, right?" Renji suggested.

Alex took a moment to think about the possibility before shaking his head.

"He probably heard I was being brought in and wants to see it for himself. He'll be down near the holding cell."

"_No, he won't._"

Toshiro's sudden appearance caught them both off guard, Alex not missing Hitsugaya's glare in his direction.

"He wouldn't dare risk being near you, Mercer. He'll be hiding safely away in his office. If he holds the key to your memories, no doubt he knows what you're capable of and is keeping his distance."

"Right…I'm used to everybody gloating over capturing me."

"Understandable. You'll need to disguise yourself until we find him, otherwise we'll get nowhere."

"No can do."

Toshiro raised an eyebrow, daring Mercer to finish that sentence in the same cocky tone. The look was ignored and Alex continued on.

"After the fight in the Bloodtox facility, I'm worn out. I wouldn't be able to hold a disguise for very long. Unless you've got a fancy spell to hide me, I'm going in with the bare minimum of my strength."

Sighing in frustration, Toshiro stepped past them and kept walking forward, only stopping to look back and speak over his shoulder.

"_Abarai, use the Bent Light._" He ordered, and then kept walking.

"_Uh, right._" The red-head turned to Mercer. "Once I put it on you, you'll be invisible for the most part. Keep behind us and we'll undo it once we find McMullen. Oh, and avoid touching people. _Way of Binding Number Twenty-Six, Bent Light._"

Alex felt like he was being wrapped in a cool veil as he vanished from view. For all the Soul Reapers knew, he had run off the minute they put it on him.

"Keep close." Renji nodded when his work was done and turned to catch up with the Squad Ten Captain.

But Alex didn't keep close; he hung back and waited for them to be out of sight before consuming one of the unconscious people surrounding him. His energy returned a small fraction and he knew where McMullen was. After all, he didn't need a Soul Reaper telling him where to go, and McMullen was as good as his.

Not that he went unnoticed. Toshiro felt one of the weak Spiritual Pressure's behind him disappear and knew exactly what was about to happen. Then again, he was sure Mercer would resort to that, and so continued walking on like nothing had happened. Once Mercer remembered everything from McMullen, he would personally deal with him.

Alex Mercer was about to feel very cold indeed.

* * *

**Boy is Mercer in trouble now, hehe.**

**Still no reply. Any suggestions peoples? Please?**


	27. Backing Out

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

Despite Byakuya's best efforts, rumor had gotten around about their phantom selves in the fight around the Bloodtox pump. The General wanted to see them, and their 'mystery companion', which meant they were really going to have to think up something good to get out of this situation. Hichigo suggested he scare the General shitless and force him to cooperate. Obviously that plan went out the window.

The General was an aging man, his arm missing in action, or so he said, and one of those 'I control this lot of idiots' attitude. Rukia stayed behind the two men, hoping that she wouldn't be seen or brought in to the conversation.

It was silent for a time, Ichigo's Hollow once more bringing up the hopeful topic of just scaring him into submission. Zangetsu was told to keep him quiet.

"Many of my soldiers have told me you were at the fight around the pump using some kind of supernatural powers." General Randall began. "But my nurses say you were brought out of the fight early and in a coma during that time. Not to mention you have some kind of midget following you around." Rukia seethed. "Care to explain?"

"I think your soldiers are feeling the effects of this outbreak." Byakuya replied calmly.

"That's just it. Only my Super Soldiers can seem to see these 'phantoms'. They were designed to detect the virus, but it looks like they can see ghosts too."

"They must be delusional."

"And yet one of them saw a warrior that looked suspiciously similar to your nephew, Agent Kuchiki, but has never seen him before. Isn't he supposed to be back in Japan?"

"Toshiro Hitsugaya is indeed back in Japan. Perhaps another being with white hair?"

"Have you seen any other child with a large sword and white hair roaming around?"

"Perhaps not. It could be my nephew ended up refusing to leave and has been here this whole time."

"He was seen fighting with you."

"I did not see him, I assure you."

Ichigo fidgeted as the air became heavy. Byakuya was letting out his Spiritual Pressure as he got frustrated with the General's questions and in such a small space that pressure was stifling.

"I think you're lying to me, agent. I'm in charge of this island while the virus is out, so everything you do is reported to me." The General leaned lopsidedly on his desk. "I'm not sure what the hell you are but you're no more human than Zeus."

"Now wait just a min-" Ichigo growled, but Byakuya cut him off with a hand motion.

"Be as angry as you like but I'm no more monster than you are." Byakuya shot back at the one armed General.

Behind them, the door opened ever so slightly, catching Rukia's attention. Her face gained a horrified look when she realized a Super Soldier had stepped inside, blocking the doorway, and was looking right at her.

"We'll see about that." Randall stood and put his arm behind his back in military fashion, smirking ever so slightly.

Rukia found herself grabbed firmly by the newest arrival, held up off the ground, and she fought enough for ten men. She even tried to bite him, using all her in-human strength to break out of the hold.

When that didn't work, Byakuya swiftly turned and pointed Senbonsakura's tip at him, daring him to continue holding her. With such a dangerous blade pointed at him, the soldier was quick to drop the black haired girl.

"What the hell was that for?!" Ichigo snarled at Randall, hand moving towards his own zanpaktou hilt.

"What? As far as I know, my soldier is being 'delusional', right?" Randall grinned, thinking he'd finally cornered them.

"I apologize General." Byakuya said instead, bringing attention away from the Substitute.

"For what?"

"I did not notice the door open and thought perhaps it was an enemy, what with him sneaking in behind me." The noble sheathed Senbonsakura. "Had I known it was one of your soldiers I would not have threatened him. In the future, tell your soldiers not to approach us so silently from behind."

Randall was gaping almost comically at how Byakuya had turned the situation around right back at him. Without him actually having proof himself, the Super Soldier at the door could be fighting with air and not Rukia, the tiny Soul Reaper punishing him for his actions. As for Ichigo's outburst, it could be described as frustration at the soldier for sneaking up on them, blaming the General for being startled.

They were good, and he had nothing to go on, only a couple soldiers that, in his eyes, were acting like idiots.

Rukia jumped up onto a platform of Spiritual Pressure and whispered a silent threat in the soldier's ear. He then paled and stopped fighting her, turning to his General.

"Ah, sorry sir. I think I'm going to see the doctor for, uh, my headache." He bowed his head.

"What?"

"I…I could have sworn I saw something…but I think the pressure of this fight is getting to me… I'll be going now, sorry to disturb you."

He rushed out as if the devil was onto him, which in a way it was, considering he had a tiny Soul Reaper frighten him into obedience.

It was obvious Randall was upset, wanting so badly to figure out what was going on recently, from Mercer silently helping them to the invisible guardians saving their asses. That even despite the help of the supernatural, the island was still going to hell.

He decided he would just take out the island anyway, getting rid of all his problems. Invisible or not, they weren't invincible, right? Not even Mercer could survive a nuclear explosion.

"Fine, you can go agents." The General plopped tiredly into his seat. "I need to see how many people I can evacuate."

"Evacuate…sir?" Ichigo had gotten over the ordeal with Rukia and was calm again.

"Whether you were in that fight or not, the help isn't getting rid of the virus. Time to just send the place to hell."

"Hang on, things are way better than they could be-"

"Yeah, but it could take forever to destroy it, and time is money, kid. We don't have it; it's costing us hundreds of fortunes as it is."

"But-"

"Come with me, Kurosaki." Byakuya was already leaving as he called out to the Substitute. "And your cat is back."

"Huh?" He looked down and saw a little black cat with golden eyes. "Oh, Yoruichi."

Seeing as the General was watching them closely, he picked up the disguised ex-Soul Reaper and followed the other one back outside.

"_Looks like things aren't any better._" Yoruichi commented when they were out of range from soldiers. "_The Head Captain is up to date on current events and is glad to know Elizabeth is gone, but he is concerned about Mercer._"

"_He needs to be more worried about the bomb._" Byakuya replied. "_They're going to set it off anyway._"

_"Damn._" She hopped onto Ichigo's shoulder. "_And I saw how close he got to revealing who you are. I think it's time to back out of the military. We're going to have to stop that bomb going off by force._"

"_If we back out now he'll have won._" Byakuya argued. "_He'll realize that we were who we said we're not. We'll pull out carefully._"

_"I think I can take care of that. I'll write a letter to our lovely General as your boss that you've been pulled out due to the fact that he's going to destroy this place and that I'm not going to risk the lives of my agents._"

"_We'll have to stay for a few hours after he gets that letter to make sure he doesn't suspect we vanished into thin air._"

"_Right. Well, I'll get on that. Rukia._"

"_Yes?_" The quiet female Soul Reaper turned to the she-cat.

"_Go find Toshiro and let him know we're pulling out. I think he'll be glad to have some extra help leashing Mercer in, per Head Captain's request._"

"_The old man wants Alex?_" Ichigo raised an orange eyebrow.

"_More like he wants Alex under constant watch to keep an eye on him and gauge whether he's either too dangerous or a possible ally._"

"_Alright, I'll go._"

Rukia darted off and Yoruichi leapt off Ichigo's shoulders to go write the letter. For Byakuya and Ichigo, it was just a matter of waiting and they would be able to assist from the shadows the way their fellow ice Captain was.

But Toshiro had his own set of problems to deal with, and could probably do without the news about the plans for the explosion.

* * *

**Back to the other half of the Soul Reaper party, where suspicions rise and things get stuffy. On top of Mercer becoming irritated and disobeying orders, the threat of a bomb really won't help Toshiro's mood any.**

**Please Review! Thanks to Laluzi for your comments on the last chapter, I'm glad you're interested and giving me feedback to help. :) And thanks to Creepy Mae West Kozi for your awesome comment, it makes me happy to know people like it so much!**


	28. Language Barrier

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

While Byakuya and Ichigo spoke with the General, Toshiro had Abarai remove the kido spell after walking for a few minutes. To Renji's dismay, Alex didn't become visible beside him when he did so.

"He went to find McMullen on his own." Hitsugaya told the confused Lieutenant.

"_That means he…?_" Renji's face paled.

"_Yes, he stayed back and consumed one of the people put unconscious earlier._"

"_Damn him._" The Lieutenant turned to go towards Alex's now clearly felt Spiritual Pressure.

"_He wants his memories and soon, so he's taking a risk. I'll be speaking with him later on…and he's going to tell me everything or pay the consequences._"

"_Captain…_"

The icy mask of no emotion kept Renji from seeing what exactly Toshiro was feeling, but by the chilly breeze that ran through the middle of their hallway deep inside the building, he was beyond pissed.

"_I'll meet you back outside, Abarai._"

Teal eyes settled coldly on the red head and he got the message very quickly. Hitsugaya was going to speak to Mercer alone, and would not hesitate to attack if it came to it.

A quick bow and the Lieutenant was gone. Shortly after, the white haired Captain made his way quickly towards where Alex was, the Spiritual Pressure being suppressed by him undoubtedly McMullen, giving off an aura of fear. Then it was completely snuffed out. Mercer had done his part.

However, when he arrived, he realized Alex hadn't gotten what he wanted. McMullen had shot himself, and Alex could only consume those that he himself killed. All that work and he had lost his chance for the remaining part of his memories.

"I…I tried to talk it out of him." Alex said, catching Toshiro's attention.

He tilted his head slightly, silently questioning him.

"I guess…I wanted to see if your way would work, to interrogate him instead of consuming him…then he pulled the gun."

"I see..." Hitsugaya sighed. "We better leave; the gunshot will bring attention here."

"You knew I came this way." Mercer piped up.

"It was obvious you wanted to find McMullen quickly by yourself, I just wish you wouldn't resort to those measures."

"How come you know me so well?"

"_As Abarai said, I'm a prodigy._ Quick thinking is only one benefit of being such. Now hurry, be-"

As if on cue, the sirens rang loud and clear and both men were on alert. They assumed McMullen's suicide had been found out, but that wasn't the reason. Toshiro's little search through the files had been noticed, and Alex's missing file was reason enough for the alert to be sounded.

Not that they knew that, they just rushed through the halls to get out before they were caught.

'_I need to show Mercer the file._' Toshiro thought to himself. '_I already know everything about his past, I just need him to remember it all so I can figure out the reasons behind what he did._'

'_**He's going to want to know why you have that file, as paranoid as he is.**_' Hyorinmaru warned.

'_No doubt. I just hope…shit!_'

'_**Toshiro?**_'

'_The alarms weren't for McMullen; they must have realized I got into their files. I really should have thought more carefully about how to get into the locked drawer._'

'_**Calm, Toshiro. They won't know who did it, just that someone broke through. They'll assume it was Mercer, what with McMullen being dead.**_'

'_In the long run that could spell disaster if we ever wanted him to make friends with the military._' He pushed through soldiers barring his way, freezing their feet with ice from his blade tip so Alex could rush past.

'_**Not that such a thing will ever happen.**_'

'_It's an end worth trying for._'

Hyorinmaru went quiet while his Soul Reaper froze the tightly locked front doors and broke them apart to allow him and Alex outside. They simply glanced at Renji and he joined them in the escape from Gentek, hiding among an alley for the military to pass them by before relaxing.

"Well, that didn't really go over well." Renji sat against the wall, a little ways away from the group. Toshiro had yet to discuss things with Mercer, and he didn't feel like becoming a human icicle.

"No, it didn't." Alex slumped against the wall, defeated. He'd worked so hard to find his memories and lost it because of a moment of hesitation. The one time he didn't consume on sight and he lost his only chance.

"Mercer." The man looked up at Toshiro, who still looked somewhat furious at him. "_Here._"

A folder was tossed at him, a folder with his name on it. It was his file, kept under heavy lock and key, from what the soldier he'd consumed earlier had known. How did the tiny Captain have it?

"Where did you…?" Alex was already showing signs of distrust.

"The alarms weren't for McMullen's death; they'd realized I'd broken into their files." Toshiro replied. "I neglected to hide my presence there in my hurry when I took that file."

"That look you're giving me means this has the memories I need, the ones you wanted to know about."

"_It does._" Hitsugaya muttered.

"It also tells me you don't like it."

"_I don't_. However, I need to know what happened from your own viewpoint. Reading through that should spark the memories in you. After that I want to know exactly why you did what you did."

"Uh, Captain, can you stop switching back and forth between languages?" Renji spoke up, cautiously raising his hand to make sure he had the white haired Captain's attention.

"_I'm not._" Toshiro replied, suddenly confused.

"Actually you are." Alex countered, wanting desperately to read through the file but waiting for the moment.

"_I…But, I know when I switch._ The language comes easily, but it's a conscious decision to which language I'm using."

"You did it again."

"_What?_" The file was forgotten in the moment of confusion as to why Toshiro was switching so easily back and forth between Japanese and English without him even knowing. "_How is that possible?_"

"I'll ask Urahara about it. I meant to bring it up earlier because you confused me going back and forth like that, but we were in the middle of a mission."

The Lieutenant stood and stepped out of the ally, summoning a Hell Butterfly to bring a message to the eccentric shop keeper. With that bit resolved, Alex flipped open the folder and eagerly read through the contents. Hitsugaya didn't quite notice at first as he tried to figure out himself why he would be merging the two languages together without realizing it.

'_**This could become a problem.**_' Hyorinmaru rumbled nervously. '_**I have yet to speak English, but it may soon affect me as well. Since the names of my attacks are Japanese because we speak it, they soon may not work.**_'

'_The attack wouldn't be full power. That really is bad news._' The Captain massaged his temples as he tried to figure out a way to reverse the effects. '_First things first, Abarai needs to lose the bracelet before he's affected, and we'll need to keep an eye on Mercer's speech pattern._'

'_**I'll keep a close watch on that, as you still can't figure out if you yourself are speaking Japanese or English.**_'

'_Thank you._'

A startled cry caught his attention and he looked at Alex, only to see the man was holding his head in pain, the folder dropped onto the ground. The memories were flowing in.

"_I nearly forgot_; when you remember something, it's painful."

"Just a bit."Alex growled, getting over the pain and picking the file up again. "Once I've seen the memories, it goes away as quick as it comes."

"You're vulnerable in that state."

"Yeah, I know. But I don't really worry about it; since it happens so quickly I can usually get out of danger."

A white eyebrow rose in question, but the Captain instead turned to the matter he was first concerned about. Now that Alex remembered what had happened before the outbreak, he wanted answers.

"_Captain Hitsugaya!_" Renji called out, cutting him off.

Toshiro strained to hold back a growl, the temperature dropping ever so slightly. Why was he ALWAYS interrupted during the important conversations?

"_We have a problem._" The Lieutenant stood straight in a reporting mode, and Toshiro was surprised to see Rukia was with him.

"_What is it?_" He asked.

"_The military General has decided to continue on with the plans for the bomb. They're going to nuke the city tomorrow afternoon after they've evacuated everyone they can._"

Alex cursed loudly and Hitsugaya couldn't help but want to do the same.

* * *

**Oh dear, Shiro has a language problem! This could get ugly. But now Mercer has his memories back and the truth is out, so progress might actually get somewhere! First, Alex needs to recharge.**

**Please Review!**


	29. File Thief Caught

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

The plan was to hang out around the base until the letter arrived, speak to the General about it, and then pretend to return to their hotel to leave. Yoruichi was nearly done with it, taking her time to leave absolutely no loop-holes. Besides, if the General asked why it came so suddenly, they would answer that they sent a message to their boss about the explosive, so she could take time to plan it out. Too soon and such an excuse would be nullified.

But everything really began to go downhill when Byakuya was called back in. The General didn't look as distrusting, but he seemed confident about something.

"There's something I want you to see." He said in a stiff military tone.

A screen was displayed with footage from the Gentek building. A member walked inside the small room, making sure everything was locked before leaving.

It was the file room.

The General switched over to the camera pointing at the entrance. What he saw was the door moving ever so slightly, while what Byakuya saw was his fellow Captain, Toshiro Hitsugaya, using kido to phase through the door before stepping into the room.

Despite being careful with his entrance, he shamelessly searched through the drawers, only being careful to avoid too much noise.

"It seems one of the 'phantoms' has taken it upon themselves to search through private files." The General watched Byakuya's reaction carefully. "I brought in a Super Soldier and he said there was a white haired child in Japanese clothing rummaging through the cabinets. What really caught my attention was this."

They looked at a different angle now. Byakuya narrowed his eyes as he watched Toshiro break open the heavily locked drawer and searched through that as well, muttering something to himself. One was eventually pulled out, and he saw the teal eyes widen as he rushed through it.

The file must have been the one he was looking for, as he stashed it and Flash Stepped out of the room, forgetting to repair the drawer or even close it.

"The file our phantom here took was Zeus's file." Randall pointed out. "And we know for a fact Zeus was there. Raymond McMullen was killed, and it's a known fact that Zeus was searching for him. Whoever this phantom is, they're helping Zeus get its memories back."

'_We already knew that, that was why he needed to stay with Mercer._' Byakuya snapped in his head. "Interesting, but I see nothing there."

"That so?"

"You said a soldier saw a white haired child? No doubt he meant my nephew, but I do not see him on this film. Besides, my nephew is a trained agent, he would not steal files." '_I can see why he needs that file though. If Mercer refused to talk, he could learn it from his background report._'

'_**He must have been in a hurry with Alex, if his hurried exit was anything to go by.**_' Senbonsakura added on.

'_Renji will report in soon, I'll learn it from him._'

"Whether it's your nephew or not, the problem now is what we thought was help turns out to be an enemy." Randall made to cross his arms, but with only one arm he ended up putting his arm behind his back. "At the fight around the pump they assisted us, or se we thought. Apparently they're actually helping Zeus."

"And since they have come, Mercer's attacks on the military and innocents have severely lessened, have they not?"

"That's not the point-"

"No? It seems any sign of friendliness towards Mercer in your eyes is treason, when honestly these 'phantoms' have done more with Mercer than you ever could." Byakuya turned to fully face the now enraged General. "In all honesty, sir, these beings have reigned Mercer in tightly and are watching over his actions as well as helping him. Where once a mindless killer was is now a possible strategic ally."

He paused, wondering if Randall would argue. When he didn't, the noble continued.

"If the recent events at Gentek are anything to go by, Mercer simply wanted to understand what he was through memories of his past. Perhaps, once he remembers, he'll cease to attack humans all together. In such a case it may be in our best interest to think of allying with him-"

"Mercer is an IT, not a HIM!" Randall slammed his fist on the desk. The Soul Reaper didn't flinch. "You may think you're all high and mighty, being an agent, but I control this operation and as far as I'm concerned, Mercer is a terrorist to America and her people! I'm not going to have some Japanese bastard tell me how to save my country! That bomb will be going off tomorrow and no amount of begging will stop it. This island is as good as dead."

"Begging…?" Byakuya muttered under his breath, horrified the General would consider him doing something so dishonorable. He wanted so badly to tear the General apart with Senbonsakura for his insolence, but reigned in his temper and faced Randall once more. "Very well, it seems I can't change your mind about these matters. I have sent a message to the Japan government about your decision and expect a letter back soon about what I and my comrade are to do."

"I'll be waiting." Randall sat heavily into his chair, watching the disguised noble leave with a fiery glare.

'_Rukia should have caught up with Hitsugaya by now. I hope to hear a report soon._'

'_**Give them time. That video was an event only minutes before, they need time to escape and settle down before they begin to take in information.**_' Senbonsakura was surprisingly a calm spirit for the moment, though he had verbally seethed while the General had been shouting at his Soul Reaper.

'_I wonder what Hitsugaya has learned from Mercer in that file.'_

'_**The look on his face showed it was something he wasn't happy with. I have a feeling Mercer is going to find parts of him suffering frostbite.**_'

_'A very possible outcome._'

A messenger ran by with a slip of paper in his hands.

'_**There's Yoruichi's letter.**_' Senbonsakura chuckled.

Byakuya just continued outside where he met up with Ichigo. They would surely be called in again so the General could see them out. They would then make their way to the hotel suite before discarding their bodies and joining Hitsugaya. Yoruichi would get Urahara to get Byakuya's gigai and carry Ichigo's body to safety.

For now, things were just a matter of waiting.

* * *

**Kinda short but pretty important. Toshiro has been caught, someone's getting sloppy! The General can't connect the dots yet, but will he? And will Shiro be able to fix his language problem?**

**Please Review!**


	30. Truth Comes Out

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

"_Hell Butterfly" _"Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

The two butterflies fluttered off, one with the report of their mission for McMullen, and one with Hitsugaya's reply to Byakuya's plan. As for Alex, he was kept in the alley and forced to finally admit what had prompted his actions of releasing the virus that was now killing off all of Manhattan Island.

"They were killing off the scientists working on the Blacklight Virus strain." Mercer explained. "One by one. I only found out because people would disappear, and my paranoia lead me to look into it. When I found out, I took a part of the virus with me and ran for my life."

He paused, wondering if the tiny Captain would speak. When he didn't, feeling the cold creeping back up, he continued on.

"They cornered me in Penn Station and were prepared to fire. In a last ditch effort to put Gentek backwards in their biological warfare weapons making, I broke the vial and they shot me. I did die that night."

That really did catch Hitsugaya off guard and he raised an eyebrow in question.

"I thought I knew what I was. I'm not really Alex Mercer, apparently. I AM the Blacklight Virus."

"_…How?_" Was all the Captain said.

"Alex fell on top of where he'd smashed the vial and the virus infected him while he was still partly living. As he died, it completely reconstructed Alex's body and became, well, me. In a sense, I'm still Alex, his personality dominates the rest, but Alex is dead."

"And since the virus lived on in you it was able to spread throughout the city?"

"More like it spread out from the soldiers it infected there. Once it was in me, it stopped spreading from me. I just consume."

"_So the virus was really a separate entity from you,_ once you became Mercer?"

"Yeah. Elizabeth felt it and helped it along from the shadows. She somehow called me to her, putting me in a memory lapse before escaping…I understand what she said to me that time."

"_And that is?_"

"She said 'I am your mother'. What she meant was the Blacklight Virus, me, came from her. I told you before she took in the virus as a host instead of dying. The Blacklight strain came from her, so in a way, she is my mother. And I consumed her, so now she's me."

Taking in all this new information, Toshiro thought about how to deal with it. Alex's involvement in releasing the virus still put him on Soul Society's wanted list for endangering the lives of so many human souls. However, Alex was dead, trapped within what was now the Blacklight Virus, and surviving through nothing but a dominant personality in that said virus. While still the same, the Alex before him was completely different…and far more dangerous. In a way, he was like an Arrancar, a very powerful Arrancar.

"You're still going to be closely monitored at all times." Toshiro said after a momentary lapse in words.

"Didn't think it would be any other way. Besides, you've helped me more than I can count. I don't know where I'd be if you hadn't showed up, to be honest." Alex stood, glad Toshiro's icy Spiritual Pressure was leaving him alone. "At this rate, they might take me off the terrorist list."

"_That probably won't happen anytime soon_. Come on, we need to join back with Rukia and Renji; the others will be joining us soon."

"You're still switching back and forth between languages, you know." Alex pointed out humorously.

"_Shut up_, I know!" Toshiro snapped, walking out of the alley quickly. He found it frustrating, being unable to control something as simple as what he was speaking. Once there, he turned to Renji. "Take off the bracelet, Renji."

"Huh, why?" Beside him, Rukia also looked confused.

"_If your bracelet does the same thing mine did,_ then you'll also start mixing the two languages together. You should do the same , _Kuchiki._"

Though Renji understood, Rukia made no move to remove her bracelet, confused. Not only was the tiny Captain speaking in between languages, but he said the same would happen to them if they didn't remove the bracelets. After the moment of hesitation, she removed the bracelet and put it with Renji's in Hitsugaya's waiting hands.

"I guess I can translate for them." Alex scratched his head. "Being the only one who can differentiate and all."

"Rukia needs to know why it's turned out this way, though." Toshiro replied, knowing full well his fellow Soul Reapers couldn't understand them, telling him the bracelets hadn't had time to absorb the language into them.

Groaning slightly at having to be the informant, Alex turned to tell the petite Soul Reaper about the recent trouble with the translation bracelets…in Japanese, of course, as now Rukia and couldn't understand English. As he did that, Toshiro took a moment to take in the cold night air atop a rooftop, eyes almost instinctively looking up at the stars.

'_Somehow…I feel like this calm won't last forever_.' Toshiro muttered to his zanpaktou and the dragon rumbled soothingly.

'**_This is the calm before the storm. We have been in such situations many times before, if you recall._'** Hyorinmaru replied.

'_It still makes me uncomfortable, what with everyone tense for war_.' He sat down and dangled his legs over the edge.

'_**I doubt this will become war, Toshiro. While the fight is tough, it is not bad enough to be called war.**'_

'_Thousands of infected fight hundreds of humans day after day, how can that not be war?_'

'**_Despite the numbers, it still only involves a fraction of the American population. And our involvement doesn't change anything either, as very few Soul Reapers are here_.**' The dragon said matter-of-factly.

'_Then why do I feel like the scale will tip and it will resort to all of Soul Society coming into the fight?_'

'_**Your mind still dwells back on the Winter War, it's natural to still feel cautious.**_'

'_Perhaps…_' The white haired Captain sighed. '_I feel like I'm stuck in the middle of something again and I'm overlooking something important. Like I missed something._'

'_**You should let Kurosaki know, he seems to be good with such things, having two younger sisters.**'_

'_I'm not one of his kid siblings, Hyorinmaru._'

'_**No, but he does seem to understand quite a bit about your personality. During the Diamond Dust Rebellion, he went out of his way to help you when you tried to push him away.**_'

'_It was my fight…_'

'_**I won't push the subject, but I suggest telling him something, he may be able to help you relieve the tension of the fighting.**_' The dragon chuckled slightly as he added; '_**He sure never seems wary of a fight for the most part.**_'

'_That's because he's stubborn and thick-headed._' Toshiro shot back grumpily.

'_**And you worry too much.**_'

While the argument was true, Toshiro didn't have to like it, and muttered under his breath, stubbornly refusing to go to Ichigo for help. A Captain didn't need help from Substitutes he told himself. His zanpaktou just chuckled, amused.

"Oi, Captain!" From the sound of it, Alex was calling him. He stole one more glance at the sky before jumping down to see what the man turned virus wanted.

Renji and Rukia were discussing something in Japanese, the bracelets by the sound of it.

"Here, this butterfly's been hovering around, but won't talk with any of us. We assume it's for you." Mercer used his hand to push the confused Hell Butterfly towards the Captain.

Rolling his eyes, Toshiro held a hand out and the butterfly zipped over, glad to have finally found the person its message was meant for.

'_It seems my butterfly gave up its directional sense for the ability to speak telepathically._' Kisuke's voice muttered. '_I'll need to fix that._'

'_What you need to fix is the fact I'm speaking two languages at once._' Toshiro replied.

'_Ah, right, about that. I'm going to need to see you myself, but I know you're still busy, so I'll be coming to you. I'll need to see the bracelet as well, and Abarai's if he's been around Mercer long enough._'

'_When will you be here?_'

'_I hope to find you shortly after we're done talking._'

'_Then you can finish your conversation here, now that I know you're coming_.' Not waiting for his reply, Hitsugaya pushed the butterfly away and looked at Alex. The virus was staring at him curiously.

"Kisuke has managed to make the butterfly telepathic instead of sending single messages. _That's why it seemed confused, the ability kept it from navigating well._"

He nodded and backed off so the tiny Captain could speak with the Lieutenants.

"_Kisuke will be here shortly._" He said, practically forcing it out in Japanese so they would understand.

"_He'll fix this language problem, right?_" Rukia questioned, seeming concerned.

Instead of giving a full explanation, Toshiro nodded instead to keep confusion to a minimum. They were now waiting not only for the elder Kuchiki and Kurosaki, but for Urahara as well.

As the Soul Reapers predicted, Urahara arrived first in his usual fashion, appearing out of nowhere with his fan covering the lower half of his face. For once, Alex found himself not only startled by his sudden presence but disturbed as well, unable to figure the guy out as quickly as he did others due to his large memory bank.

"_Might you be the ever so popular Alex Mercer?_" Kisuke asked him.

_"You could say that._" Alex backed away slightly.

"_Hm, judging by your Spiritual Pressure, it's very easy to see why you've influenced the function of my translation bracelets_."

"_You're the one who made them?_"

"_Ah, allow me to introduce myself._" The eccentric shop keeper grinned widely, fanning himself with his hat shading his eyes well in the dim street light of the alley. "_I am Kisuke Urahara._"

* * *

**So Kisuke makes an appearance. Wonder how well Alex will take it... Haha, this should be fun. Shiro must be having a hell of a time speaking two languages at once, hehe.**

**Please Review!**


	31. Linguistic Genius

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo'_ "**Hollows"**

* * *

"_Enough games,_ Kisuke, figure this out." Toshiro caught the blonde's attention.

"_My, my, we do have a problem._" He frowned. "_From what I can tell, you're trying to go back to your natural language, Japanese. But it seems the absorbed language is competing with it and trying to make itself dominant._"

While Toshiro seemed to understand the basics of it, the others looked confused.

"_In other words, his body has no idea which language it wants to use and so is using both of them._" Kisuke told them, and they nodded.

"_Is there a way to fix it?_" Hitsugaya questioned, wanting the torture over with.

"_That may take some time. May I see the bracelets?_"

There was no hesitance as Toshiro handed over the silver jewelry. In fact, he seemed all too eager to fix the problem and practically forced the bracelets into Urahara's hands. Alex watched in fascination as Kisuke sat down where he stood and examined the pieces carefully, pocketing his fan to use both hands, pulling out various other instruments instead for closer examination.

"_Give him some time_ to figure it out." Toshiro told the virus.

"_Ah, Captain. It may be better if you avoided talking so the problem doesn't worsen._" Kisuke spoke up in as polite a tone as he could manage. "_Since Renji and Rukia no longer have bracelets, they'll be confused when you slip into English._"

"A-ah, right." Things were going to get frustrating for him soon, he could tell. Hyorinmaru rumbled comfortingly in his Inner World.

With Kisuke searching the bracelets over, the three Soul Reapers and virus waited for the rest of their little group that seemed to be steadily growing. From what they'd been told, Yoruichi was making a fake agency letter to 'pull out' her 'agents' for their safety. Once done, they would wait an hour and then join them. They hoped Kisuke would be finished examining the bracelets by then so he could take Byakuya's gigai and Ichigo's body to safety.

As they'd hoped, Byakuya and Ichigo were called in once the General had read through the letter sent by Yoruichi.

"It seems you're being drafted back home." He tossed down the letter and ran his hand over his face.

"Oh?" Byakuya questioned, feigning ignorance.

"Guess your boss doesn't want to risk losing two agents. Can't blame him, I guess. Now get out of here…and take your phantoms with you, dammit. They didn't start causing all these problems until you people got here."

"That doesn't mean it's our fault." Ichigo growled. "And who's to say we can 'take them with us', when we can't even see them?"

"I don't care, just get going. That bomb is going off tomorrow afternoon…or today I guess, since it's past midnight."

Randall waved them out before they spoke again, making their departure a rather easy one. Now they simply needed to drop off their bodies at the hotel suite for Kisuke and Tessai to grab and meet up with Hitsugaya and the others. Yoruichi joined them, riding on Ichigo's shoulder with her feline chest puffed out proudly at her work.

"_That went well._" She purred.

"_Yeah, all that's left is to shut down that bomb._" Ichigo sighed. "_Great._"

"_I'm going ahead to warn Hitsugaya._" Byakuya interrupted. _"Lead the Mod Soul to the suite and wait for Urahara before joining us._"

"_Why do I have to?_" The teen paused to growl.

"_You don't have Kon with you, so you're body can't move on its own, and you're Mod Soul doesn't know where to go. You'll need to lead the Mod Soul back and wait for Urahara to come get your body along with the gigai._" At that, he swallowed the small candy and stepped out of his body.

"_Pfft, joy._"

"_Just do it, Kurosaki._"

The noble vanished and Ichigo was left with an equally impatient Mod Soul, glaring at him to get a move on.

"_Right, I get the delivery duty._" He heard Yoruichi chuckle next to his ear.

Muttering profanities under his breath that he normally avoided with the noble around, Ichigo led the Mod Soul back to the suite, not knowing Urahara was already there and that Tessai and the two children were waiting for the bodies instead.

It didn't take long for said noble to find Toshiro and the others. In a span of seconds, he took in Rukia and Renji's missing bracelets, Alex's sudden look of having seen something depressing, Urahara's presence with the bracelets, and Toshiro's strained silence.

"_I seemed to have missed something._" He said, announcing his presence.

"_The virus in Alex has melded to the translation bracelets, and Captain Hitsugaya absorbed the English language through it._" Renji reported. "_Now he's having trouble speaking one or the other, they're mixing together."_

Raising an eyebrow, Byakuya turned to the white haired Captain for conformation. All he got was a nod.

"_I've asked him not to speak so as to keep the problem under control._" Urahara piped up, still focused on said Captain's bracelet. "_In fact, since you're going to be spending more time with Mercer, you may want to remove your own bracelet to avoid this problem. Mercer has managed to absorb Japanese but can still differentiate languages, so there won't be any language barriers._"

Hitsugaya opened his mouth to say something, only to close it again, worried his words would come out mixed up and confusing. Seeing as how Toshiro himself was concerned about this recent development, Byakuya slid the jewelry piece off and tossed it to the shop keeper.

"_Kurosaki needs_ to know." Toshiro finally spit out, not wanting the Substitute to be left out if he, too, was going to arrive soon.

Alex repeated it in full Japanese for the sake of the now confused Soul Reapers.

"_He is taking the gigai back to the hotel suite, where we were going to request Urahara to pick them up._" Byakuya explained, but pulled out a Hell Butterfly nonetheless.

"_Tessai is there to get them._" Kisuke replied, still focused on the jewelry. His scientist interest was officially perked as he tried to figure out why Hitsugaya had not only absorbed the language from it, but why he was slurring the two together and Alex remained unaffected.

"_Very well, he will be alerted to the situation at hand._"

The butterfly flew off with a slight tinkling sound to alert the teen. After that, Byakuya turned to Mercer.

"_And you? What has changed about you?_"

"_Gee, I don't know, maybe the fact that I'm not who I thought I was._" Alex replied with a bitter tone. Hitsugaya glared at him warningly, the cold settling in to remind the virus he could easily be killed.

"_Care to elaborate?_"

Mercer said he would, but wanted to wait for Ichigo so he didn't have to keep repeating himself.

"_Ah-ha!_" Kisuke's sudden cry of happiness startled all of them. "_I may know the answer to this little problem!_"

His excitement was contagious, but it seemed he either couldn't say more, or was pausing for dramatic effect. Knowing Kisuke, they all thought it was the latter.

"_Well?_" Toshiro questioned, eyebrow twitching as they all waited for the shop keeper to stop being dramatic and fix the problem.

"_For one, I realized why you're slurring the languages together and Mercer isn't. The translation bracelet was to temporary allow understanding of other languages-_"

"_We know that, so what's the difference?_" Rukia snapped.

"_Hold your sword, I'm getting there. The bracelet is temporary; however, mixed with Mercer's virus strain, it became permanent. I see you're about to ask why, so let me explain by starting with a question. Mercer?_"

The virus tilted his head, confused.

"_America is known to be diverse in people, so no doubt you've consumed one or two people who speak other languages, correct?_"

"_Yeah._"

"_Could you try speaking one of those?_"

Still utterly confused, Alex thought for a moment before saying something in Spanish. He then said something else in what seemed like German.

"_Weird._" Renji's jaw dropped.

"_I see._" Kisuke mused. "_And obviously you're not mixing those languages together. They remain separate parts of you, ones you can call up at will. What truly happened was the bracelet absorbed the Japanese language from Hitsugaya, a trait it gained from being near you, Mercer, and then you absorbed the language from the bracelet._"

"_How the hell does it do that?_" Alex looked shocked by such a statement.

"_These bracelets are spiritual objects; they can't be seen by the living, like the Soul Reapers. What they picked up on was your Spiritual Pressure, that of the virus._"

"_Then how did Captain Hitsugaya absorb the English language?_" Byakuya questioned.

"_If my theory is right, then what happened was while it was learning to absorb the language from Hitsugaya, it was also translating to English for him. It was still developing the ability to absorb, so some information leaked back the other way, infusing the language into his brain._"

"_And now that he doesn't have the bracelet his body can't remember which was which?_"

"_Exactly._"

"_Okay, so how do we fix that?_" Mercer now asked.

"_It's actually very simple._" The fan was back and Alex was soon acquainted with the annoyed feeling that comes with seeing it in front of the shop keeper's smirk. "_First, he needs to keep speaking to a minimum, so his body can sort out what language is his own._"

Hitsugaya muttered under his breath, but with parts being in English, no one really understood him other than Alex, who snickered. The way his eyes darted back to Kisuke meant Toshiro was muttering about him.

"_Secondly,_" Urahara pretended not to notice, "_No more English around him. His body will remember his native tongue faster if he is surrounded by it. So Mercer, keep to Japanese, if you will._"

"_I won't be able to talk with them otherwise._" The virus replied.

It was at that moment Ichigo chose to arrive. The air was tense still, and his eyes darted between each of them, noticing how Toshiro seemed upset but hiding it. Once Kisuke asked for his translation bracelet, he knew something was up.

"_Did I miss something important?_" He slumped.

* * *

**So the problem with Shiro has been figured out and an answer found. Let's hope he can fix his speaking problem when he returns home! I know Mercer seems a little obedient, but he's still kind of weak from not having consumed anyone, and the sudden memories all at once made him a little tired. He'll be fine in the next chapter.**

**Please Review!**


	32. Difficult Freeze

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo'_ "**Hollows"**

* * *

After the Substitute had been filled in on what all had happened after he got the Hell Butterfly, it was time to make plans. First they needed a way for Toshiro to put in his arguments and suggestions, so Kisuke took a minute to tweak his telepathic Hell Butterfly so it would be like a translator before leaving back home. As long as it remained on his finger, he'd be able to speak full Japanese, which would also help his body adjust back to it.

"_That bomb goes off this afternoon._" Yoruichi reported from Ichigo's shoulder. "_We have little more than half a day to figure out a way to stop it before this island and its mother continent become swarmed with Hollows from the tortured souls that will be left behind._"

"_The General was really set on setting off the bomb, wasn't he?_" Rukia pouted.

"_He was._"

They all sighed with the she-cat.

"_He seems to think this island is as good as dead._" Ichigo scowled.

"_Perhaps we should show him it's not._" Hitsugaya spoke up, making sure the black butterfly was touching him. "_We need to step up in taking out the virus._"

"_Excluding Mercer of course._" Renji added, earning an eye roll from said virus. It was obvious he was excluded from the virus extermination.

"_This could be considered a war now, with the decision to bomb this island. In such a case, isn't it the duty of Soul Society to do its best to stop this war?_"

"You're going to ask the Head Captain to send more Soul Reapers?" Byakuya raised an eyebrow.

"_I can't, not like this. But it's an option._"

"_Yeah, but-OW!_"

They looked to Renji when something hit him from behind, the offending object dropping back down in front of him. It was paper, wrapped around a rock. Its victim rubbed his head before glaring at it. Alex grabbed it first and unwrapped it from the rock to read it.

"_That's a really old way to send messages._" Ichigo commented as Mercer read the note.

"_Well, we don't exactly have any other way to be contacted by anything other than a Soul Reaper._" Yoruichi pointed out.

"_True._"

They turned back to Mercer as he scowled and handed it to Toshiro, the Captain he knew best and the only one still able to understand English. Said Captain read it over himself before also scowling.

"_We might have a way to do this, but it's not something I'd agree with._" He growled aloud.

The four other Soul Reapers looked at him expectantly.

"_An anonymous person has given us a tip, along with the current location of the bomb._" Toshiro reported. "_It's out on a ship called Reagan._"

"_That's a high end military aircraft carrier._" Alex spoke up. "_There's no getting on that boat unless you're part of the military with special permission._"

"_Our mystery informant has a solution to that. Someone named Ian Taggart is wanted by the General for the loss of Blackwatch's base of operations. He suggests…_" The Captain sighed, "_He suggests you find and consume Taggart, get captured and taken to the General, who is moving on to the Reagan to oversee preparation of the bomb._"

"_Whoever this man is, they sure thought things through._" Rukia noted. The others nodded in agreement.

"_I don't like this one bit._" Alex hissed. "_This mystery guy better make himself known._"

"_One of us can deal with that later. Right now, this is the only option we got, unless you like swimming._" Yoruichi jumped down and stepped towards the virus.

Said virus gave a feral hiss.

"_Even if I did, they shoot anything in the water or air that moves unless they can prove they're military._"

"_Then why don't you just go as one of your military disguises?_" Renji questioned.

"_The General is onto me, he'll be paranoid by now. As much as I'm annoyed with the guy, killing him is the least of my worries._"

The group did their best to find less…consuming, ways of getting to the Reagan and shutting off the bomb without loss of life. For now, it seemed like they would have to go with their informant's plan.

Hitsugaya did his best to read the faint Spiritual Pressure that was left on the note. It was written recently so the trace was enough that he could recognize it. Recognize it he did, it was the stranger that had found him in the abandoned building with the tip that let Mercer finally know who he was. The one with the strange trace of the virus he couldn't quite figure out. He wasn't Hollow, human, or virus. Not that he could tell, anyway.

Leaving a message with the butterfly on his finger, he stepped away from the group and went to confront the man himself.

'_**Be wary, Toshiro.**'_ His zanpaktou hummed. '_**The scent of him made me uneasy.**_'

Hyorinmaru, uneasy? Toshiro was definitely curious now and was desperate to figure out the stranger's identity. Something strong enough to give the giant ice dragon shivers was worth looking up.

The message left behind was simple; they had no other option but to go with the plan written for them and that he was already searching for the writer. He'd have an answer as soon as possible. Satisfied their mystery would soon be solved, they looked back over the plan and worked out how Mercer would get to Taggart, thinking how best to use his viral skills as an asset. First he needed energy.

Toshiro knew the stranger must still be nearby, having to be near to throw the rock. Going in the general direction of where it was thrown from to hit Renji in the back, he eventually found the tiny trace of the strange virus scent and began to follow. The stronger it got, he knew the closer he was getting.

Something jumped out of the building to his right and he reacted swiftly. Hyorinmaru clanged harshly against a set of killer claws. A Leader Hunter.

"Of _all the_ times." Toshiro grumbled, pushing the monster back.

It jumped at him again, this time with its multi-fanged mouth aiming towards his neck. Metal struck its jaw. It cried out and backed a way for a moment, nursing its split jaw, before it attacked in rage again. It stood twice Toshiro's height, making it difficult to get safely around it in the thin alley, and it would only follow him to the building top. At least there he had the advantage.

So up it was, and he waited on the roof for it to follow in attack. Hyorinmaru gleamed in the moonlight, but was kept still. The Hunter did not rise for the challenge. It waited in the alley, following the Soul Reaper from below.

'_**It knows why you moved up and isn't going to follow.**_' Hyorinmaru growled.

'_They've gotten smarter._' Hitsugaya agreed in frustration. '_The minute I step back down, he'll come at me. I need to find that stranger from above._'

'_**It'll only follow you, no doubt killing everyone in its wake.**_'

'_…damn._' His only option was to fight and win. '_This was way too convenient, I knew something was off about that bastard. He sent it after me._'

'_**He will pay.**_'

The final growl from the ice dragon resonated with Toshiro's own fury as he moved a little ways away from the alleys and into an empty street, quarantined off for a mile radius by soldiers as the zone was heavily infected further in. The occasional infected human waddled by, but he didn't care for the grunts. The ice Captain's current problem was the Leader Hunter dogging him. It was wary to go into the open street as well, wanting to stay in the safety of the confined alleyway.

"Come and fight, you pest." Toshiro jibed, managing full English. With wisdom came pride, he'd seen it often.

The Hunter was no different, snarling and stepping out onto the broken road to face off with the Soul Reaper.

"_Reign over the Frosted Heavens, Hyorinmaru!_"

The blade extended and the first move was to throw forward the crescent chain-blade. It became obvious to the Hunter the extending silver chain was dangerous to it but it wouldn't be as cowardly as the lower Hunters and run. It knocked the chain-blade aside, not without the consequence of instant frostbite where it struck, before rushing forward to attack.

Toshiro let the chain blade retract on its own and held the hilt of the sword with both hands and letting loose a wave of ice. It formed into an image of his ice dragon before snapping its icy jaws shut on the Leader Hunter's arm. The beast screamed out but ignored it, still barreling towards him at top speed. He couldn't get away fast enough before it knocked him roughly to the side.

Pain shot up his side when he landed but he got up as quick as he could. It would just be a bruise, nothing bad. He had to focus to survive. It was turning back around for another strike.

"_Icicle_ Flock!" He called out the attack and swung the blade to form the rain of icicles.

It didn't work. The Hunter was coming towards him.

"Wha-?" He managed to escape getting trampled this time, rolling aside and getting back into stance. '_Why didn't it work?'_

'_**The language mix has started to effect the attacks.**_' Hyorinmaru replied, concerned.

'_Shit._'

Until his language problem was worked out, a lot of his moves would be cut off from him. Toshiro audibly growled but kept his stance. He had to win this fight, with our without his attacks. The beast was turning back for one more run and the child prodigy thought faster than ever how to kill it before things got worse.

It rushed at him. In a last ditch effort, Hitsugaya put as much power as possible into his next swing, three ice dragons forming and striking the Hunter head on. It slowed considerably, the multiple frozen limbs beginning to weaken it badly. Still it ran, claws extended to take the Soul Reaper with him.

"_Dragon Hail Flower!_" Toshiro called out, forcing his voice to come out in Japanese as he stabbed his blade through the thick body of the Hunter. If it worked, it would freeze instantly and he'd be safe. If it didn't he was dead.

The Hunter shattered as shards of ice and Toshiro fell to his knees, exhausted, with a slight pain in his back from where the claws had barely pierced him. Hyorinmaru rushed to the source and killed off any invading virus before freezing the wounds shut to keep out further invaders.

'_If they're all going to be this hard to kill, then we really need help if we're going to stop this infection._' Toshiro thought to his zanpaktou.

'_**You're idea of bringing in more Soul Reapers was valid, the others just might need some convincing.**_'

'_How about the fact that I can't use my powers as well thanks to this language problem and my ice is one of the virus's few weaknesses. If I'm having a hard time with one Hunter, it will only get worse from now on._'

* * *

**Oh dear, Toshiro's not quite looking his best, is he? But we're boiling down to the final fight! Hang tight, it's almost over!**

**Please Review!**


	33. War Plans

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

After taking a moment to heal his wounds, Toshiro tried to pick up on the trail. But, as he'd expected, the trail was covered up by the Spiritual Pressure of the Hunter he'd killed and various other infected. There was no finding it now.

He had no doubt in his mind that the stranger had sent the note, and when he was being chased, had summoned the Leader Hunter to fight. That meant he controlled the virus.

That meant he wasn't human.

The stranger wasn't interested in destroying the bomb, he could care less. He wanted to survive. No doubt he was using Mercer to get that job done. But why Mercer? What did the Blacklight Virus have to do with keeping this mutated human, or, beast, alive? Alex had to play a major role in this plan, a role he couldn't figure out. Alex had been fairly easy to read, his emotions always on the surface. But this man in the shadows was proving difficult to bring out into the open.

With no way of finding the stranger, he sighed and decided to return to his fellow Soul Reapers. Dawn had arrived as he finished his fight with the Leader Hunter and now the sun was stretching across the sky. They had few hours left.

Kurosaki's Spiritual Pressure was the easiest to catch onto as it leaked out wildly. Following that, he joined him, Yoruichi and Mercer in a max of two minutes racing across the island.

"_Oh, Toshiro._" Ichigo greeted nonchalantly.

"_That's Captain_ Hitsugaya." The white haired Captain snapped. Though the teen only understood part of it, he got the gist of what was said and smirked ever so slightly.

"What's_ going on,_ Mercer?" Toshiro asked the virus, the only being able to put the two languages together and know what he was saying.

"_Taggart's trying to leave the island by helicopter, but there are a lot of dummy helicopters too. With the General after him, he's not taking any chances._" Alex replied.

"_Just look_ for the chopper _with two people in_ it."

"_He'll probably have that thought out too. Those other three are already at the three sites with helicopters. If they see some high class bastard step in one, they'll let us know._"

Toshiro nodded, it was probably Yoruichi that came up with that idea, what with her being a former assassin for Soul Society.

"_You got hurt, Toshiro._" Yoruichi spoke up. "_I can smell the blood._"

"It _was nothing._" The Captain replied, but unconsciously rubbed his side where he'd fallen after getting tossed aside. That was the injury he hadn't healed, figuring it would heal on its own. It was a little worse than a bruise, but nothing bad that he couldn't handle.

"_Don't brush it off so easily, Toshiro. The slightest injury can bring down your performance and possibly lead to a fatality on your end._" The she-cat warned.

"I'm _already starting to lose_ control of my _attacks with_ this language _problem._" The Captain snapped back, forgetting that the very language barrier he spoke of kept his receiver from understanding the words.

It was Alex who understood and reacted first, looking a little shocked by that. Once he repeated it to the Soul Reapers, they looked even more shocked, and very worried.

_"The way you fight depends heavily on your attacks with Hyorinmaru._" Yoruichi leaped down and looked up at the tiny Captain with worry contorting the black fur on her face. "_Now that you're losing that this is only going to get worse. That injury definitely needs to be healed if you're going to stand the slightest chance against a powerful Hunter._"

"_Speaking_ of, I was_ intercepted by a Leader Hunter_ while _searching for our writer_. It was far _too convenient to_ me, but _it was how I got_ injured."

They took a moment to listen as Alex repeated his words.

"_So our informant seems to have control over the virus too._" Ichigo mused. "_I agree with you, this doesn't feel right at all._"

"_It_ even _covered up_ the _trails he left._"

"_You know it's a he?_" Yoruichi's tail flicked.

"_He found_ me before." Toshiro turned to Mercer. "It was _where I got the idea_ of getting _you captured_ to get to McMullen."

"_You've been played._" Alex narrowed his eyes.

"I _know that_, but there _weren't many other_ safe options. _It didn't exactly turn_ out _his way anyway, what_ with McMullen _committing suicide to avoid_ you. _And now he won't even show_ himself. He's_ hiding from us_, he knows _we're onto_ him."

"_Then once he shows up he's dead._"

"_Who's dead?_" Ichigo asked, having been lost on the conversation when Alex stopped translating.

Rolling his eyes, Alex went back through the conversation, where the teen quickly agreed to help, even snapping back at Yoruichi when she voiced her unhappiness at the sudden thoughts of murder. Her mind quickly began to rethink it when even Toshiro said he wanted to kill their mystery writer. That was mainly due to his frustration and pain earned from his fight with the Leader Hunter no doubt sent by said writer.

The Captain's injuries were being seen to by Yoruichi, rather slowly as she was in her cat form, when a Hell Butterfly practically burst towards them and snatched onto Ichigo's finger.

"_They found him!_" He exclaimed, jumping to his feet as they had all sat down when the she-cat began healing Toshiro.

"_Go, Ichigo. You and Mercer need to cut him off before he escapes. We'll join you when I'm done._" Yoruichi ordered her student.

"_Got it. Ready Alex?_"

"_Probably more than you are._" The virus replied and rushed off before the teen could snarl a reply. Instead he raced after him.

Hitsugaya shook his head at the pair of him. Alex could be easily influenced in personality by others, and it seemed he was taking a liking to Ichigo's personality. That was all they needed, another stubborn man with way too much power and quick learning skills. Alex had all these perks, the difference being he was a virus that consumed others, only aiding his quick learning.

"_We should really consider asking the Head Captain to send more Soul Reapers; Lieutenants at least if not Captains._"

Yoruichi flicked golden eyes to the butterfly touching Toshiro's shoulder, glad it had returned to be the icy child's translator.

"_I agree, but we can't rush things-_"

"_We don't really have the time to take things slowly._" Toshiro stopped her, standing up even though the healing wasn't finished and there was still a slight bruise. "_In a matter of hours this island will be taken out of existence and Hollows will be swarming the main continent. This is as close as we're going to get to war, we need reinforcements now._"

Silence. Yoruichi gazed coolly at the upset Captain, thinking quickly.

"_I'm going to find that stranger._" He told her, unsheathing Hyorinmaru in case anything attacked him. He'd be ready.

"_Very well. I'll request the Head Captain to send more Soul Reapers_." Yoruichi stood and turned. "_I'll find you after your message is sent._"

The black cat vanished, followed soon by the Captain in a different direction.

'_**Keep that butterfly with you, Toshiro, or you won't be able to use our attacks.**_' Hyorinmaru suggested.

'_I know, it's not going anywhere._' His master replied, glancing once at the delicately perched butterfly.

'_**That man could be anywhere. Do you have some idea as to where he may be?**_'

'_He's a soldier, or was. That means he'll be waiting for Mercer to catch Taggart. He's going to be the soldier to 'catch' him. I just know it._'

'_**He won't reveal himself with you around.**_'

'_I won't be around. Ichigo and Rukia will be with him, maybe Byakuya and Renji. None of them know him, only me. He'll feel safer._'

'_**And you? What are you and Lady Yoruichi going to do?**_'

'_When he shows up and reveals his plans for Mercer, I'll be stepping in then. I just hope I won't be alone._'

'_**The other Soul Reapers?**'_

'_Something along that line._'

The tiny Captain went back to the hotel suite he and Byakuya, and later Ichigo, used to be staying in. It was pristine and looked like no one was inhabiting it. Good, because Kisuke hadn't had time to change where the gate opened up.

And so he waited, thinking up a plan as he did so.

* * *

**Meant to post this yesterday but things happened and i couldn't. Sorry about that.**

**Please Review!**


	34. Body Hi-jack

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

Three helicopters flew off, a fourth following from behind while trying to look like one of the patrol choppers and remaining separate while being somewhat obvious about trying to escape. It didn't fool the Soul Reapers.

"_Don't go for the obvious choice._" Rukia said stiffly to Alex, who'd recently returned from consuming some unlucky infected for energy. "_He's not in that one, he's in one of the other three._"

"_Yeah, well, which one?_" The virus growled at her.

"_I'm going to freeze them in place, because they all had a government official step inside. I'm sure you'll be able to know which one he is._"

"_Yeah, I've seen him before._"

"_Ichigo will help if he needs to. Be ready._"

"_Thanks for the heads up Rukia._" Ichigo muttered. Rukia hit him roughly on the arm in reply and he growled more.

"_Dance, Sode no Shirayuki._" The white blade formed and the air dropped in temperature, though not as vastly as it did with Toshiro, to Alex's relief. That, and Rukia's had more of the snow feeling to it, while you could only feel the bite of harsh ice from Hitsugaya's.

After the blade formed, she Flash Stepped to a spot below where the helicopters would soon fly over.

"_Fist Dance, White Moon._"

The circle of ice formed and she moved away, watching as the back ends of the choppers were caught in the ice pillar, freezing them in place without actually catching anyone inside. It was well timed. She could see the pilots freaking out, still unable to see the ice, but knowing something had hold of them. In one of the choppers, a man was being strapped to a parachute and nearly pushed out of the chopper to get him to safety.

Ichigo arrived, creating a somewhat shaky platform of Spirit Energy that Alex was able to stand on and grab the man about to leap to safety.

"Hello Taggart, you're with me." The virus hissed threateningly, but did not consume him. He did have a gun aimed at him, so he leaped away, gripping tightly to his captive, following Ichigo away onto the rooftops.

Rukia let her ice pillar break, making sure the helicopters landed safely without anyone being harmed, though the machines were damaged beyond fast repair. Once done she joined her comrades.

Taggart was held down by Alex's arm whip, but still the virus seemed unwilling to actually consume the man. He'd been fine living off the infected that he would occasionally consume along the way to their destinations. Hanging out so long with Toshiro made him reluctant to actually kill him.

"_Well, Mercer, what are you going to do?_" Rukia narrowed violet eyes. This was a hard choice for him.

"_You know…when I think about it, he's probably going to die either way._" Alex replied. "_The General didn't request to see a wanted criminal personally to chat, he wants to kill him._"

"W-w-what are y-y-you talk-king about?" Their captive stuttered. "Wh-who are you t-talking to?"

"Just the servants of death." Alex replied, glaring, feeling a little empowered by the look of fear on Taggart's face. "They suggest I put you out of your misery."

"N-no, wait!"

The two Soul Reapers turned away so they didn't have to watch Alex consume him. He didn't blame them, Toshiro didn't like watching him consume either, even if it was an infected.

"_It's done._" Alex told them, flicking the blood off his arm, which was now back to normal. Taggart was gone.

"_Now we get to that ship and stop the General._" Rukia kept the shudder from her voice. "_I'll get my brother._"

Ichigo understood that Rukia wasn't leaving just to get her brother, she wanted a minute to recover from the gore Alex left behind. She still wasn't used to it, even after the incident with Elizabeth and watching him consume infected.

"_Hey, Ichigo._"

The teen blinked and turned to the virus when he called. Alex had his hands in his pockets, looking at Ichigo curiously.

"_I never had a chance to ask you about your mask. How did you get it?_"

"_It's…a really long story._"

"_It means you're part Hollow, doesn't it?_"

"_I have an Inner Hollow, yes._" Said Hollow was listening intently to the conversation.

"_So you can use its powers whenever you want?_"

'_I'm a he, dumbass!_' Hichigo snarled in Ichigo's head.

"_Sort of. It makes me stronger when I use his powers, but I don't use it often because he likes to try taking over._"

'_It's boring in here._'

"_He?_"

"_Hichigo takes on my appearance, but he's completely white. He is a part of me._"

'_Stupid King, I look like you because I'm your true instinct._'

'_Will you shut up!_'

'_Hehe, got ya mad._'

"_Must be weird, having a voice in your head._" Alex scratched his own head as he tried to figure out Ichigo's Hollow self.

"_Two actually, 'cause I have a zanpaktou too. But Zangetsu's pretty quiet._" Ichigo corrected.

"_Right, forgot about the sword spirits for a minute._"

'_Hey, lemme talk to him._' Hichigo suggested, pushing eagerly at Ichigo's barriers around him to get free.

'_No way in Hell._'

The Hollow pouted but found the force keeping him in place got stronger. He wasn't going anywhere.

There wasn't any more discussion as the Kuchikis arrived and Alex went silent, knowing Byakuya hadn't really seen him consume much and his stiff attitude made him wonder his reaction to seeing the aftermath. The noble simply glanced at the blood left behind before looking the virus in the eye.

"_Now we head for the Reagan. We need to find an officer to take you in._"

"_Oh I can probably find plenty officers willing to take me in._" Alex replied in a sarcastic tone, smirking slightly.

"So, Mercer, who could you be talking to?"

They snapped to the source of the voice, finding a gray haired soldier of high ranking.

"_Captain Robert Cross._" Mercer said in Japanese to let the Soul Reapers know who it was.

"Still speaking the foreigner language? They're long gone, Mercer." Cross stepped towards him.

"Maybe not as gone as you'd think." Alex didn't back down, a feral growl in his throat as the soldier approached.

"Well, whatever the reason, I saw what just happened." Cross stopped. "While the talking to yourself part caught me off guard, I think this could work out for both of us."

"Oh?"

The three Soul Reapers remained silent, having no clue what was going on or what was being said.

"Taggart is a wanted criminal, but you've consumed him. I know you're secret, about you being the virus, and how to kill you. If you do something for me, that information stays safe with me."

The growl got louder and Alex let his arm shift partway into claws.

"You can't tell anyone if you're dead." He pointed out.

"True, but I remember you didn't like this much." He held up a syringe of, to Mercer, familiar liquid. The Soul Reapers noticed Alex bristle at the sight of it and detract his claws. "Want to run around Manhattan trying to cure yourself again?"

"Bastard. What do you want from me?"

"I take you to the General with you as Taggart. Let him 'kill' you. When he walks away, thinking your down, take him out. I don't want him setting off that bomb any more than you do."

"You work for him and you want him dead?" Alex spat at the ground. "Some soldier you are."

"I still think this place can be saved. If that bomb goes off, everything is gone."

"Why should I care?"

Cross smirked, something the others didn't like. Byakuya was catching wisps of viral Spirit Energy, but they were in an infected area.

"Because you have invisible friends with the ability to save this island. Take out that bomb and ask them to cleanse this island. No one will ever know you're secret. You'll still be the mysterious infected Alex Mercer, not the virus itself."

Silence cut through only by screams in the distance. Alex was weighing his odds. This was what they needed, a way to the ship, but now Cross was a threat.

"Fine. Let's go."

"Glad you see sense." Cross pocketed the syringe and pivoted back around, moving towards the docks to get to the Reagan.

Alex didn't follow, waiting a moment until Cross was out of range. He then explained their situation to his three companions.

"_We'll keep a careful eye out from afar._" Byakuya assured. "_Just follow along and get to that bomb._"

"_What other choice do I have?_" Alex replied glumly. The noble glared but said nothing. The virus wasn't one to be polite, and his attitude shifted rapidly.

Taggart's role was assumed and he met up with Cross, where they embarked for the aircraft carrier.

"_Hey, where's Renji?_" Ichigo asked suddenly.


	35. Drums of War

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

A little before Toshiro settled in to wait for Yoruichi's return with back up, said she-cat was in her human form and dressed, standing before the Head Captain with her head respectively bowed.

"_What is so important, Shihoin, that you request for the Captains and Lieutenants to gather at such a short time?_" Yamamoto demanded, skipping right to the issue.

Around her were the other eleven Captains that hadn't been a part of the mission. Some of them were yet to be briefed on the situation after Soi Fon returned from her run, so they didn't understand the situation. Toshiro's spot was taken up by Matsumoto, Byakuya's was filled in by Renji, the red-head having been dragged back when the she-cat passed him by. The other Lieutenants were there as well.

"_An issue has cropped up in New York._" Yoruichi began. "_Despite our efforts the virus lives on, and now the military head is going to bomb the island to get rid of it._"

"_What's so wrong about that?_" Came Mayuri Kurotsuchi's voice. The white and black painted Captain scooted his golden headdress to make sure it was properly in place. "_They're only losing a fraction of their population, it can't be all bad._"

"_The problem is everyone will turn into Hollows and swarm the mainland._" Renji replied, his tone harsh but respectful, as he was speaking to a Captain.

"_Hmph. And what is this virus we're talking about?_"

"_The Blacklight Virus._" Yoruichi answered.

"_Never heard of it._"

"_Of course not._" Soi Fon snapped. "_It's a bio-weapon created by Americans to be used in warfare. They used it on a small country town to see if it worked, and it did, killing off the population there._" Some of the Captains scoffed at people experimenting with their own citizens. Mayuri seemed fascinated. "_Only, one of them survived and began to create new strains of the virus inside her._"

"_And where is this specimen?_"

"_Dead._"

The scientist looked somewhat furious.

"_She was consumed by another host to the virus._" The she-cat turned to the silent Head Captain. "_You remember him right? Alex Mercer?_"

"_I remember what you've told me of him._" Yamamoto replied.

"_It turns out he actually is the Blacklight Virus, a powerful manifestation of it. He consumed Elizabeth and is still trying to help us save the island, even if he's part of the virus himself._"

"_Couldn't that be why he's trying to save the island?_" Spoke up Squad Five Captain, Hirako Shinji. The Captain's short blonde hair waved as he turned from Yoruichi to the others. Behind him, his Lieutenant, Momo Hinamori, was dying to ask a question about Toshiro. But she kept her brown eyes cast downward and fidgeted with her black haired bun in its blue wrap.

"_No, because he's been fighting the virus with us for some time now._" Then, with a smirk, she added on; "_Captain Hitsugaya has him on a tight leash._"

"_That's my Captain for you._" Matsumoto beamed like she was talking about her own child.

"_Hitsugaya, you say?_" Mayuri clenched his hands into fists. "_How come the brat has my specimen under confines?_"

"_Not confine. He's getting Mercer to act more like a Soul Reaper. Before they met up, Alex could care less who died, only that he got his memories back. Over time, his attitude changed and he was more careful about his actions. I've started to notice how much like Ichigo he acts._"

"_All we need, another Substitute._" Nanao Ise, Lieutenant of Squad Eight, pushed up her glasses, still holding tight to her book.

"_Now Nanao, Ichigo's helped a lot._" Her Captain, Shunsui Kyoraku, tipped his straw hat and adjusted his obnoxious pink flower robe over his Captain's haori. His curly brown hair was in a ponytail that had tiny wire flowers on it.

"_Forgetting Ichigo for the moment,_" Yoruichi interrupted them, "_Hitsugaya has personally asked for reinforcements. Things are getting worse, and he has a suspicion there's someone behind it trying to pull Mercer into a trap. In his mind, this has become war._"

"_And I agree._" Yamamoto claimed, startling most of them. "_When is this bomb going off?_"

"_In a few hours, at most._"

"_Then we need to go immediately!_" Soi Fon stepped out of her line.

"_This has become a high risk to Soul Society. Captains Soi Fon, Unohana, Zaraki, and Kurotsuchi will accompany Yoruichi back to Manhattan Island. Lieutenants Abarai, Matsumoto and Hinamori are to go as well._"

"_Understood._" Came several replies.

"_Um, may Lieutenants Hisagi and Kira come as well?_" Momo raised a cautious hand.

"_They may, and I assume Lieutenants Kusajishi and Kurotsuchi will be going with their Captains?_"

"_Sure thing!_" Cried the tiny pink haired Lieutenant of Squad Eleven, sitting on the shoulders of an enormous, well muscled man with multiple scars and long black hair, an eye patch over his right eye. Many still wondered how she got her position, and how the fight crazed Squad Eleven Captain put up with her. Across from them, the silent Nemu Kurotsuchi, daughter of the Captain Kurotsuchi, simply nodded, her black braid bobbing behind her.

"_Dismissed! You are to leave immediately!_" Yamamoto closed the meeting and Yoruichi was already darting towards the Senkaimon, followed by her large procession of reinforcements.

Kisuke had managed to get Soul Society's Senkaimon to wire right through the one in his underground training area so that the trip to his place was bypassed. Instead, they ended up right into the hotel suite, just as a certain white haired Captain predicted. He'd hoped for reinforcements, but wasn't quite expecting it to work, and didn't expect so many. He now had twelve extra fighters to not only take out the virus, but find their hidden monster in human disguise and get rid of him before things got bad.

"_So the Head Captain agreed?_" Hitsugaya gazed at the she-cat, though she saw him dart a glance at the butterfly hiding near his neck. He didn't want them to know about his language problem, and that feeling probably doubled when he saw Hinamori. He didn't want to worry her.

"_Quite readily, actually_." She replied. "_Since you've got the most expertise in our current situation as of now, what do you have in mind for us?_"

_"I didn't expect so many, but this could be helpful. While we're taking out that bomb, the virus is still spreading._" Toshiro explained.

"_Then some of us can head out and start on exterminating it._" Matsumoto suggested, surprisingly serious at the moment. The feeling of the virus around her was cause enough to sober her.

Her Captain nodded and she looked to the others to see who would join her in hunting out the virus. She was joined by Renji, both Kurotsuchis (the scientist wanted some specimens to work on), and Lieutenant Shuhei Hisagi, a well built man with short, spiked black hair and three scars across his face, as well as a tattoo of the number sixty-nine.

Yoruichi waved them off and their number dwindled to seven, not including Toshiro.

"_I'm surprised you stayed._" Soi Fon muttered to the giant Kenpachi next to her.

"_I want to meet Mercer._" Kenpachi grinned with bloodlust.

"_Should have known._"

"_He's already heading out to the aircraft carrier where the bomb is with Byakuya, Rukia and Ichigo._" Hitsugaya told them. "_I have a feeling that the man I mentioned earlier will be making a move soon. He's probably with them now._"

"_Then by all means, let's get moving._" Said Retsu Unohana sweetly, giving off one of her trademark smiles that really meant 'obey or face my wrath'. Even the neat black braid that braided down in front of her and sweet look didn't help keep off the feeling of uneasiness she could so easily give.

"_Follow me._" Toshiro stood and they headed out.


	36. Time Start

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

"_Hell Butterfly" _"Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

Rukia was sure of it now, Cross just didn't feel right. They watched from invisible platforms in the air while Captain Cross pretended to haul Alex, or Taggart, off the helicopter and onto the huge carrier. Closest to him was Ichigo, Zangetsu's hilt held firmly but still attached to his back. Even he didn't like this Cross character, and he was no good at sensing Spiritual Pressure.

Despite being a supposed prisoner, Alex still didn't like being pushed around. Taggart's disguise was uncomfortable to him…maybe because it was recent and he didn't like his situation. Maybe it was the fact that he was surrounded by water, cold ocean breezes making him cringe.

General Randall stalked right over, looking more paranoid than ever, and was addressed by Cross with a salute.

"I found Taggart, sir." Cross said.

"Good." And just like that, the man lifted his weapon and shot 'Taggart' in the head. If he'd been human, he'd be dead. As for Alex, it stunned him enough to knock him down, but he was nowhere near dead.

Ichigo growled at the shooter. Mercer had been right, Taggart would have died either way. At least he didn't have to get killed by this bastard.

"Still going to let the place blow?" Cross asked the General.

"Of course." He pushed some buttons on a control panel. Even without being able to understand English, Ichigo knew it was the bomb. What else would be strapped to giant sticks of dynamite, or that's what it looked like to him.

"What about our men? The ground troops still in Manhattan." Cross looked genuinely concerned for the other soldiers and Ichigo decided maybe he was only dangerous feeling because he didn't like Mercer.

"You didn't think I was that naïve, did you?" Randall suddenly pulled a gun and turned to Cross. By now, Byakuya and Rukia were there, the latter waiting to signal Mercer when to strike. The General had his back turned. "When you have a wound, you cauterize it."

At the silent signal, Mercer stood and reformed into his default look. The sound of flesh moving caught Randall's attention as he spoke.

"We'll be saving millions of American lives." And then he turned.

Alex lifted the General off his feet and snarled in his face.

"I won't let you erase this town like you did Hope." He said.

"Let?" Randall coughed, trying to get air. "That bomb goes off in ten minutes. And only I know the code."

Though the Soul Reapers didn't understand, the look of frustration on Alex's face and his eyes darting to the bomb made it clear what was wrong. The virus tossed the General back to the ground.

"You don't know what you're doing to this place." Alex hissed. He paused for a moment, thinking. "You took something from Elizabeth Greene."

Byakuya heard Elizabeth's name and frowned. What did Alex want to know about her that he didn't from the woman herself?

"I know what Blackwatch has done." Alex stepped menacingly towards Randall, who cowered backwards. "All you're soldiers I've killed…their memories are mine now."

Realization dawned on Randall.

"That's how you…"

Mercer didn't let him finish, consuming the military bastard before the others could stop him.

"_Alex!_" Rukia seethed.

"_I needed to know._" The virus shot back. "_He had a chance to stop this, and he didn't. Elizabeth had a child, and he took it from her, keeping it under wraps so he can continue his bio-warfare._"

That caught them off guard. Elizabeth had a baby? And now they know it's simply being used for more weapon making. Things were worse than they thought. This really was war.

Their shock kept them from seeing how Cross looked at each of them, seeing them clearly. He smirked and stepped towards Mercer.

Sensing danger, the virus turned, only to get picked up by the throat with strength the human shouldn't have possessed.

"Stand back!" He shot at the Soul Reapers, his message clear. "When that weapon detonates, and they think this place is cleansed, they won't be looking for me." He glared at Mercer. "Once I consume you, I'll be able to survive even this."

He tossed Alex back before turning his arms to claws and slamming them into the boat. Enormous black spikes jutted out, threatening to spear the Soul Reapers had they not moved away in time, gathering near Mercer to plan.

"_This has to be the guy Toshiro found._" Ichigo growled. "_This means he's the one that was leading us around._"

"_Consume me…_" Alex muttered. "_And he'll survive. What does he mean?_"

"_Who knows, Mercer. Focus or he will consume you._" Rukia warned.

Before them, Cross's form was abandoned, and the true terror behind their situation made itself known.

"_What…What is it?_" Ichigo kept himself still, but the image before them was horrible.

What was once a soldier was a mass of twisted flesh, walking as a human would. Tendrils snaked of its enormous clawed arms, pincers around its mouth. What's more, it had a Hollow mask, the white thing shaped into an ever changing blob. The only things kept still were the golden Hollow eyes. Spines pricked up on the back and its cry was mixed with the guttural sound of the infected and the screech of a Hollow.

"_They've finally managed to converge._" Rukia breathed in horror. "_The virus has absorbed enough Hollows to gain their powers. They've become one being!_"

"_That doesn't change the fact that we must kill them._" Byakuya spoke harshly, lifting his zanpaktou into place.

Before he could release Senbonsakura, something slammed into the Hollow Hunter and pushed it up top to where the other soldiers on the ship were. That someone had a small pink haired girl attached to him.

"_Yeah, get him Kenny!_" She cried out joyfully.

"_Kenpachi? Yachiru?_" Ichigo looked confused.

_"How come no one invited me into this fight?_" Kenpachi grinned wickedly, ignoring Ichigo and looking almost hungrily at Alex. The virus bristled and twisted his arm into the blade, just in case. Even if this huge man was dressed as a Soul Reaper he didn't like him. His transformation only made the Captain more interested.

"_I'm guessing Hitsugaya prevailed in getting reinforcements?_" Byakuya questioned, brining the attention to him.

"_Yeah, come see for yourself._"

With that, he leapt up top. The others followed, Mercer hiding in the disguise of a soldier just in case he was seen.

It was chaos up top. The minute the Hollow Hunter had emerged, soldiers were shooting off every round they had. The jets left the ship to shoot from above, helicopters hovered in the hopes of taking it down while avoiding being blown out of the sky by debris. It was completely focused on the soldiers at that moment, but Mercer could see its gaze go to the six other Soul Reapers surrounding the ship occasionally, one of the being the familiar white head of hair he recognized as Captain Hitsugaya.

When Toshiro was spotted by the monster, it abandoned the others and leapt at him. He was at the edge of the ship, Hyorinmaru in release form, waiting ever so patiently for the monstrosity to reach him.

"_Ice Dragon Swirling Tail._" He recites, swinging the long blade in the Hunter's direction. The crescent shape wave of ice threatened to engulf it as it barreled forward.

The fact that it keeps going sent up warning flags and Toshiro decides to back off just as it crashed right through the ice with barely a scratch or any frostbite. It became apparent quickly that this Hunter knew all too well his powers and could now put up a protection against them.

"_Guess it got used to the cold._" He muttered, Yoruichi next to him snickering slightly, before getting back her battle stance.

"_Don't let that cold go, Toshiro. It should at least have the slowing effect on it, even if it doesn't calm it like it does to Alex._"

"_No problem there. I should probably up the scale though if I want it to have any effect._"

"_No Bankai yet, let's see if we can take it down before we need that kind of power._"

Hitsugaya pondered that for a moment, glancing to see his 'sister' Momo and Izuru holding up their own released zanpaktou and preparing for the attack. Unohana was taking soldiers off the ship one by one trying not to attract attention. Soi Fon sent a command through to keep any and all personnel from the ship. Her voice was strong enough, and the threat bad enough, that any air soldiers high-tailed it from the ship.

"_Alright, we'll try it._" Toshiro jumped back into the fight, Yoruichi close behind, to see Kenpachi rush head on at the Hollow Hunter.

"_Let's see what you've got!_" He shouted with blood lust.

The fight was officially started.

A fight that needed to wrap up around nine and a half minutes or they would all be toast.


	37. Limitations

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

"_Hell Butterfly" _"Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

The Hollow Hunter lifted his arm towards Zaraki, tendrils bursting out and slamming into the Captain. However, the crazed fighter had thicker skin than the monster first thought, leaving only a few superficial scratches so that Kenpachi was back up, still grinning, and itching for another try. Even Mercer thought he was insane, though all others knew it was true. There was no taking this Captain out of a good fight once he decided he wanted in.

"_Snap, Tobiume!_" Momo jumped in, unleashing a fireball with a piercing cry from her zanpaktou, a blade with a prong on each side.

Golden eyes narrowed at the fireball before racing out of the way, charging at Rukia. She had her white blade held at the ready, and her own snow-like Spiritual Pressure was putting it on edge, mixed with the icy energy of Toshiro.

"_Next Dance…_" She punctured the ground four times, cold air and ice rising from the punctures, quickly before lifting her blade back up into a fighting stance. "_White Ripple!_"

A rush of snow burst out the tip and engulfed the Hunter in a wave of ice.

Not that it was finished, not by a long-shot. A mass of tendrils smashed through the ice before it completely froze and threatened to consume any nearby Soul Reapers. Izuru, the frightened blonde, immediately took cover from the reaching flesh. His zanpaktou wasn't really having any effect, as the beast could shift his muscle-mass back to a reasonable weight even if he tripled it before striking back.

Alex recognized the attack the Hunter made as one of his own, and he knew how to get around it. Skirting low, he shifted his arm into the blade and tore off a limb, the arm. It was the first attack that got the beast to howl in fury and pain, taking its own strike, only to have Alex bolt back out of range. Kenpachi rushed in before the Hollow Hunter could follow.

"_You're mine!_" He grinned wickedly.

"_Go Kenny!_" Shouted Yachiru from her perch atop the satellite on the ship. She was taking no part in the actual fighting; she just wanted to watch Kenpachi fight. That struck a wrong note with Alex too, the fact that she loved watching the blood fly so much. However, she knew nothing but fighting. And Kenpachi was happy, grinning no matter how bad the scar was, hacking away at what he could.

The Hollow Hunter was still regenerating, but managed to grip tightly to Kenpachi's zanpaktou, the jagged edges digging in. The yellow Spiritual Pressure now writhing around the Captain in waves made it harder for it to keep the blade back as it regenerated, so it shot a tendril out from its chest. Blood did fly, but only from the small wound on Kenpachi's shoulder where it had hit. He'd managed to dodge a fatal blow. Still he grinned for more, lifting up to strike once more only to be pushed back.

_"Back off, Zaraki!_" Soi Fon shouted, her zanpaktou in its Shikai form.

"_No way, this is my fight!_"

"_You can't kill it._"

"_Even better! A never-ending fight!_" Kenpachi swung again, hoping to lop off the arm that was whole before the second finished regenerating.

The beast turned and blocked the blade with his back spines, stretching them out as well so the sharp bony points stabbed through several spots on the Captain's body. He looked shocked, unaware such a thing was possible, but didn't back down, swinging for another go.

Soi Fon took her shot and stabbed the beast once in the chest, pulling back to strike again and finish it, or at least daze it since the monster would probably adapt immediately to her poison, and let Mercer finish the job. It wouldn't be dead until Mercer consumed it. That was the only choice they had.

Instead, she found herself hurled back from a nasty punch and wicked gouges across her chest. Brand new and killer looking, the Hollow Hunter had gotten his arm back. The claws seemed even sharper this time as they struck Kenpachi and sent him flying. The Squad Two Captain was also badly bruised and would have been thrown off the ship had the giant manta ray belonging to Retsu Unohana's Shikai hadn't caught her gently in its mouth.

"_You guys really have some wicked powers._" Alex said, looking at the chaos around him and the many differences. Kenpachi was picked up, very reluctantly on his part, and taken from the fight.

"_Every Soul Reaper is different, so naturally their zanpaktou are different._" Byakuya replied, readying himself to step in if needed. "_The spirit of our zanpaktou reflects our personality_."

"_That explains Toshiro._"

Mercer was startled to see he'd managed a smirk out of the Squad Six Captain. If he died today, he died knowing he'd succeeded in making the silent and serious man break his mask, if only slightly. That in itself was a great achievement to him.

On the opposite end of the ship, Toshiro spoke with Momo and Izuru. Ichigo listened in from the side, itching to get into the fight but not wanting to bring the ship down into the sea with his attacks. When he heard Toshiro's idea, he gladly put in a word and they all agreed on something.

Izuru rushed to Rukia to spread word while Momo got to the others and Toshiro prepared the field. Unohana had taken Kenpachi, bleeding heavily, and Soi Fon, still fighting but hurt enough to pull her out, off the ship and was healing them on a platform of Spirit Energy a ways from the fight, but where she could still see if anyone else needed to be pulled out. They would not be a part of this plan.

"_Mercer, yes?_" Hinamori stood in a fighting stance next to Alex, glancing at him once before turning back, suppressing a shudder. How did her 'brother' put up with such a fearsome Spiritual Pressure?

"_Why does everyone call me by my last name?_" Mercer responded.

"_Maybe later. Listen, Shiro and Kira have a plan and you need to hear it._"

Mercer was all ears, and by the end of the report, he was smiling. It was hard for Momo not to attack him as well; she mentally repeated to herself that Mercer was on their side, just a little crazy. Kenpachi wasn't all that different to him.

While the Squad Five Lieutenant told her plan, Byakuya was holding off the Hollow Hunter quite effectively with Senbonsakura's Shikai. Whether protected from it or not, it wasn't quite sure how to deal with the thousands of deadly petals keeping him locked inside. It once attempted another attempt at what Alex called a Devastator attack, the multiple tendrils reaching out to consume those nearest, but found them effectively stopped by the thousand blades. The tendrils were snapped and cut from the main body like breaking twigs from a tree.

The beast was furious, and everyone could tell as its Spiritual Pressure rose. For all the things to happen, it had to bring down the worst.

The sky ripped open and Hollows came pouring in from Hueco Mundo to discover the source of the power, wanting to be a part of it. Now with a fresh supply of energy, the Hollow Hunter consumed them and became strong once more. Any injuries healed in a flash and it seemed to grow somewhat bigger, becoming more buffed.

A head of pink hair bobbed up next to Byakuya.

"_Hey, Byakki! Bun-lady said that Shiro had a plan to kill it!_" She said with a smile.

Somewhat understanding what she was saying, having had to put up with her for so long, Byakuya quickly understood the plan and ever so slowly backed off. Little by little Senbonsakura retreated and returned it to blade form while he stepped off the ship.

When the bladed petals dispersed, the Hollow Hunter looked around for any Soul Reapers, consuming the rest of the low level Hollows it had summoned as he did so. Instead, it found that they weren't within range of him. Using the knowledge it had gained over time from the Hollows, it searched around. They were too far out to get near, and even as part Hollow, it didn't like water, nor could it figure out how to walk on air as others did. The virus part of it couldn't cope with that kind of energy.

There, one was under the ship, near the water. It rushed to the side and peered over in time to see ice rush up at him.

"_Bankai! Daiguren Hyorinmaru!_" It was Toshiro.

The effect was immediate and almost stunning. For a mile around the ship and several yards down, maybe even a hundred, the water around them froze and the ship was held firmly in place, all by the release of his Spiritual Pressure. The amount of it rushing over the Hunter nearly brought it to its knees had it not strengthened itself with a meal of Hollows.

Someone had called off the limiters and it was time for some damage. Serious damage.


	38. Hope Dies in the Wind

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

"_Hell Butterfly" _"Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

After he had frozen a good portion of the water, Toshiro had rushed upward past the Hollow Hunter and into the air, keeping the ice from moving in the ocean around it. Dark clouds formed over top and cold winds blew over them. He spread the ice out in tendrils to grip onto any land below or surrounding anchors so the ship wouldn't float in its ice case away from the island.

The sudden cold made the Hollow Hunter even angrier. Now unable to reach the source of this cold, he looked for another Soul Reaper to try and bring him down.

On the ice, Izuru struck the ship several times with his zanpaktou, Wabisuke. The tons of metal became ten times heavier and even Toshiro's ice couldn't hold it up. But that was fine, it was supposed to happen.

The ship began to sink, bringing the Hollow Hunter to alarm. Did they think sinking it in ice would kill it? It decided to prove them wrong…but the ice looked so unforgiving.

Rukia awaited her turn, watching the ship sink lower and lower. When the runway top of the ship was nearly level with the ice flat Toshiro had made, she stabbed Sode no Shirayuki into said ice.

"_White Tree!_"

More ice flowed from where she stabbed into already existing parts and spread towards the ship. The entire carrier became encased in ice, making it light once more and stopping its decent, while also making their opponent uncomfortable. Her ice mixed with Toshiro's spread the ice field farther.

The monster had gotten over its fear of ice, now completely surrounded by it, and leaped at the still standing Kira. He was unprepared for the attack and quickly fell to the ice, the force asserted by the Hollow Hunter cracking it. Claws rose to deliver the final strike and consume the Soul Reaper.

"_Got your back, Kira!_" Yoruichi darted in and kicked the beast square in the chest, sending it skittering across the ice and back onto the ship. Once there, she turned to Izuru. "_Get yourself to Unohana, we can finish it._"

The blonde nodded and stood shakily, Flash Stepping towards the Squad Four Captain and current only doctor.

Now the Soul Reapers still left in the fight were on the ship, along with Mercer. Deciding to play with them, the Hollow Hunter swung its head back and forth between them, as if choosing which one to fight with. It knew what it wanted though, and that was the ice winged Captain hovering a little ways above it. One little jump and…

"_Bankai_." Byakuya's calm voice drew its attention as he dropped the blade. "_Senbonsakura Kageyoshi._"

Alex gaped somewhat as the sword sank into the ice covered ship like water, having not seen the actual release of Byakuya's Bankai, and never on such an intense scale. Enormous blades then rose from the ground and surrounded them before breaking into what seemed millions of petals. It was all he could do to keep himself up with both Hitsugaya and Byakuya's Bankai now activated without a limiter.

The petals surrounded them, forming a sort of barrier that trapped them all inside, the Hollow Hunter as well, and darkening their surroundings. Row upon row of shining pink blades encircled them.

"_Slaughter-scape._" Called out the owner of those thousands of blades.

"_You know, I did not expect this._" Alex looked around at the trap they'd set. Yoruichi snickered.

As if he'd set off a siren, the Hollow Hunter turned to charge Mercer head on. Red flags went off in Alex's head and he turned, morphing his arm into a shield to fend off the charge. Ice cracked as he was pushed towards the edge, coming dangerously close to the blades.

"It isn't my turn yet, you son of a bitch." Alex snarled and morphed his other arm into a blade.

One quick stroke and the Hollow Hunter stumbled backwards, the gash across its chest already healing. But that was all Yoruichi needed to step in for her turn.

"_Shunko!_" She shouted.

The white energy enveloped her and she used all her martial arts expertise to beat the Hollow Hunter down.

"_Snap, Tobiume._" The screeching call sounded off followed quickly by the fireball from the pronged blade.

The fireball scorched its back, a tough kick to the gut knocking away its breath. The beast thrashed, trying so very hard to hit the fast moving she-cat. At one point it turned to charge the girl with fire, Momo, having learned she was being kept safe by the ice Captain, therefore someone he would come down for. By forcing Toshiro down, it could take him out and get rid of the nasty cold still filling the air.

Facing Momo, Yoruichi came at its back, and an idea crossed its foul mind. Bone stretched as the back spines shot out and caught the woman mid-air. It missed any major organs, but rendered her left arm useless and caused excruciating pain. She did get in her fair hit as the Shunko powers still worked and blasted off the spines.

As the Hollow Hunter turned to finish off the purple haired she-cat, Momo finished up with a strain of incantations. The first put a barrier in front of Yoruichi. The second extended out from that barrier and crafted pillars into a sort of cage, making the shield turn trap. The final kido spell lit the trap inside and set the Hollow Hunter aflame.

Writhing in pain at the hurtful blaze, it took no notice to Momo helping Yoruichi to the side of the battle where Byakuya was, as he kept himself safe among his own blades. She became a part of his safety circle and Momo took back to the fight.

"_Alright Momo, it's Kurosaki's turn._" Toshiro told her, hovering next to her for a moment before taking back to the air.

"_Right._"

The shield was lifted back up, the Hollow Hunter still burning, and Ichigo raised his sword. His Spiritual Pressure swirled around him in a light blue color, different from the black and red Alex remembered seeing in his Bankai form.

"_Moon Fang, Heaven-Piercer!_" The orange haired teen called, swinging the blade down towards the Hollow Hunter and letting the powerful stream of energy crash into it.

"_That should put it out, get it now Mercer!_" Yoruichi called to the virus from her sitting position near Byakuya.

Wasting no time he rushed towards the downed beast and lifted his sword arm up to finish the job. The timer clicked down and the Soul Reapers inside Byakuya's Senkei waited with baited breath. The blade arm came down.

The Hollow Hunter vanished and Mercer's arm struck iced metal.

"_The fuck?_"

He managed to pull back and move before the Hollow Hunter, suddenly behind him, struck him down.

"_It's learned Sonido!_" Hinamori gaped.

"_Not good._" Toshiro hissed.

Now twice as fast as before, Alex's shifting tricks did no good to defend against it. He used his claws to move faster, but they did hardly any damage and he was always hit right back.

"_Snap, Tobiume!_"

The fireball came again only to be avoided, the Hollow Hunter in front of the tiny Soul Reaper. It grabbed her around the neck and lifted her up.

"_Momo!_"

Hitsugaya darted down and stabbed through the Hollow Hunter to force him to let go. Not too far behind, Ichigo and Alex arrived to help. Its current victim was thrown away, caught by Byakuya and pulled into the safety zone, before it turned to its three new opponents with a guttural snarl. Three blades were turned on him.

Ichigo struck first, swinging his huge zanpaktou down at the head of the monster. Claws cut off the blade's path and pushed the Substitute back, lashing out when Hitsugaya came in for a rear attack. Hyorinmaru snarled in his Soul Reaper's Inner World as he realized the Hollow Hunter was spreading the virus through touch now, though it was useless against the Soul Reapers, especially the ice Captain.

Leaving the girls in the safety zone surrounded by several glowing blades, Byakuya pulled himself into the fight, bringing one of the other multiple glowing swords to his hand. The glow faded and left him with a normal looking katana blade but had the power of several.

After pushing Toshiro and Alex back with a Devastator, Ichigo hanging off by the side to get ready for a Getsuga Tensho, the Hollow Hunter immediately turned towards the newcomer and narrowed yellow eyes, its spines growing somewhat in a threatening manner. Still the Squad Six Captain kept moving forward.

"_Way of Destruction Number Thirty-Three, Blue Fire, Crash Down._" The noble recited, hand aimed towards the beast with the sword in his other hand.

The blue Spirit Energy burst forth in a wide beam that engulfed the Hollow Hunter.

Using the same shifting abilities as Mercer, it put up a shield and got out of the beam before it did too much damage, before using Sonido right up to the shocked Captain and stabbing its left arm, a bladed arm, into the noble's stomach.

"Shit!" Mercer rushed forward again, lopping off the bladed arm with his own and freeing Byakuya from the terror. The noble fell to the icy ground with barely any conscious. Alex sent the Hollow Hunter flying with a Muscle-mass powered kick.

The thousands of swords diminished as its wielders life did and the ice field around the frozen ship came back into focus, letting the other Soul Reapers see the damage that had been wrought from the inside. Alarmed by her brother being so fatally wounded, Rukia rushed over to him and attempted a small healing kido spell. The light was beginning to leave his eyes, but he made one last attempt to weaken down his opponent.

"_Carriage of thunder, bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six. Way of Binding Number Sixty-One, Six-Staff Light Prison._"

Six flat beams of yellow energy slammed into the Hollow Hunter's middle, effectively paralyzing it as he attempted to latch onto the elusive Alex. It could not move, could not defend, it could hardly even look around at the noble to glare defiantly with bloodlust fury.

"Better." Alex sneered, turning his arm into a whip and slinging it forward to wrap around its neck and snap it.

It looked like they finally had it, the force of Alex's pull beginning to audibly crack at the spine, until the Hollow Hunter used a burst of massive viral Spiritual Pressure and obliterated his prison, grabbing onto the whip and pulling a now shocked Alex towards it, sinister claws ready to instead deliver the killing blow to Mercer and consume the Blacklight Virus.

Many things happened at once. The Soul Reapers saw Toshiro dart forward in between the claws and Alex, Hyorinmaru blocking the talons from doing their job, Alex being thrown back towards the others with a Bakudo spell.

As if anticipating it, the monster lashed out with his regenerated sword arm and struck the ice Captain hard, leaving a gash across his chest and sword arm, making him drop Hyorinmaru as he lost feeling in it, and breaking his Bankai.

And although no one else noticed it, Hitsugaya saw the broken Hell Butterfly that served as his translator get blown away in the freezing winds he himself had made.

* * *

**Kinda getting bored with the one a day thing, so happy early Christmas, i will be posting all the chapters and finishing it today :)**


	39. Murderer's Trio

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

Momo cried out to Toshiro but couldn't be heard, her throat still hurt from the Hollow Hunter's grip. Air became hard to come by, so standing to help was out of the question. Yoruichi got him for her, despite her own injuries and being unable to use her left arm, and made sure to grab Hyorinmaru as well. The calming cold on her hand let her know the dragon was thankful he'd been picked up.

"_Keep still, you two._" The she-cat said, wincing as her injuries started to hurt again. However, she knew she needed to go back for Byakuya, before he really did die in there. Currently, the Hollow Hunter was busy battling it out with Ichigo, with the petite Rukia getting in a hit every now and then when she could, her healing spells doing enough to keep her older brother alive a little longer. Alex kept by Byakuya, only leaping into the fray after the purple haired woman grabbed the Captain and left.

Two more Spiritual Pressures headed their way, having sensed the loosing battle, and had come to lend their skills. They were met with the Lieutenants of Ten and Six, Rangiku and Renji respectively.

"_Captain!_" Rangiku looked horrified at the tiny Captain's wounds.

He was missing his butterfly, and so looked to Yoruichi for help. Understanding the pleading look in his eyes, she turned to the busty woman.

"_I'll take care of him; the others could use your help in there._" She ordered, setting Byakuya, now unconscious, down by Momo and Toshiro.

The sight of two powerful Captains already down didn't really help them any, but they nodded and stepped into the fray. Alex was the main fighter now, asking the others to step back so he could use his own Devastator. Charging towards him, the Hollow Hunter cut him off before he could use it and Alex slid across the ice field, only to get back up and run in for another try.

"_Let's get you three to Retsu._" Yoruichi stood again and made to help Toshiro up, but found her own injuries kicking in and bringing her back down. Momo went and tried to help heal her arms a bit, but being on the battlefield was a risk.

Hitsugaya and Hinamori weren't the only ones to notice. With Ichigo, Alex and Rukia still in the fight, Renji decided Rangiku would be enough and went back to help her. One by one he helped them over to the shielded platform where Unohana was currently healing the rest of Zaraki's deep injuries, Soi Fon trying to get her energy back while Kira helped with the healing. At the sight of Toshiro and Byakuya, she left the fight-crazed Captain for Kira and rushed to their aid before they fell dead of blood loss. Momo sat next to Soi Fon and waited for her throat to stop being sore.

Last was Yoruichi, having demanded the others be brought first, and she was at least standing when Renji came back to get her.

The lack of Soul Reapers was getting the Hollow Hunters attention, and it wanted food. It had intended to consume the weakened Soul Reapers when its energy was low, such as now, but found its food being taken to an unreachable area.

That would not do. It charged at Renji before the red-head could escape with the last of its meal.

"_Growl, Haineko!_" Rangiku held out her zanpaktou and the blade turned to ash, surrounding the Hollow Hunter as it raced with Sonido towards Renji.

"_Whoa!_" Renji Flash Stepped away fast, the claws of the Hollow Hunter scraping along his back, and managed to keep Yoruichi free of injury.

The Hollow Hunter grew angrier and angrier as time went on, its body seeming to grow again, the hole beginning to appear in its chest as it tried to fully utilize its Hollow powers. Its Spiritual Pressure had increased to nearly that of a Vasto Lorde.

And then it vanished. Everything gone, from body to Spiritual Pressure.

"_Where is it?_" Rukia felt around, trying her best to locate the beast among them. Ichigo tried the normal way and looked around frantically for anything suspicious.

"_It's learned how to hide its Spiritual Pressure._" Rangiku said in a calm tone, also focused. The ash of her zanpaktou swirled around her protectively as they waited with baited breath.

With its Spiritual Pressure suppressed, Alex used a method only he could to locate it instead, switching his vision to search out those infected. Eyes turned to where the healing Captain was attending to her patients, frowning when he realized Yoruichi had some infection within her. It somewhat made sense, as she didn't seem to have a zanpaktou, but he figured she'd be fine. He hoped the healer could find a way to get rid of it.

Even with his infected sight, he couldn't find any trace of the Hollow Hunter.

"Damn bastard, where are you?" He muttered under his breath. His blood thirst had been starting to come out during the fight, as well as his anger and hatred. If he didn't find it soon, he might attack one of the Soul Reapers. Perhaps that's what it wanted, so he forced himself to calm down.

'_You should really let me in on the fight, King._' Hichigo was excited, having been watching the Hollow Hunter grow steadily in power throughout the fight.

'_There's not really a fight right now, is there?'_

'_I bet'cha I could find it._'

'_If I can't fight, then fine, you can fight._'

'_You realize how rare it is for you to get to the point where you CAN'T fight, right?_' Now Hichigo was pouting. '_You don't stop until you're nearly dead._'

'_Exactly._'

Still unhappy with the turn out, the Hollow silenced and settled for watching the fight, thinking of ways to get him hurt enough so he could come out to play.

His opinion changed when he sensed the tendrils creeping up around his King from behind.

'_**Ichigo!**_' Zangetsu called out, sensing Hichigo's distress at the thought of being consumed.

Ichigo reacted quickly, but not quick enough. Once the Hollow Hunter realized the Substitute knew it was there, it tightened its grip and lifted him off the ground, the sharp tips digging into his flesh as it attempted to consume him before the others noticed.

The screams of the Substitute brought attention to him. Rangiku acted first, the ashes digging deeply into the tendrils and trying to free the teen before it was too late. More tendrils crept forward as the Hollow Hunter itself came into view to finish its work before the ash cut it off.

'_Time for the horse to take charge, King._' Hichigo said, though without the usual mockery he had in other fights.

The wildly leaking Spiritual Pressure around Ichigo switched to that of a Vasto Lorde Hollow, and Alex got his chance to see Hichigo. His hands grew claws, skin turned white, a large hole appeared in the middle of his chest, and the mask formed over his face, along with large horns and a long mane of orange hair.

Being the bloodthirsty Hollow he was, Hichigo settled for ripping the tendrils off him with his teeth, using claws after once his arms were free.

"**Bankai.**" He hissed, the blade in his hand reverting to the long black blade before he promptly cut a deep gash in the Hollow Hunter's chest.

Judging by the violence Hichigo had just displayed, Alex could see why Ichigo didn't want to let him out earlier. Even he found himself shuddering as the Hollow leaped forward like a wolf and tore at his opponent with claws and blade alike.

Deadly claws gripped Hichigo's sword arm and threw him off, twisting it around somewhat and launching him several yards away. In retaliation, Hichigo lifted his head and formed a Cero between the horns on his head, mouth open in a deranged smile.

"_He'll destroy half the city with that Cero!_" Rukia cried out to the others.

"_But it may be the only way to kill it._" Mercer argued.

"_We're fighting it to protect the humans, Hichigo will end up killing them with his Cero, he's a Vasto Lorde!_"

"_A what?_"

The petite Soul Reaper didn't reply, using Flash Step to get to Hichigo before he unleashed the full force of his Cero on the Hollow Hunter and the city behind it. She didn't notice the sickly pale yellow Cero forming from the beast's mouth.

Both were shot, both met in the middle. Rangiku called out for Rukia and Alex shot forward to grab her as the force of the explosion knocked her backwards. Even after he caught her, he slid back some from the force, and if he wasn't the virus he would have been badly hurt himself from the impact.

Hichigo growled when his Cero failed to hit and lifted up Zangetsu. Black and red energy flowed around the blade.

Roaring with its own fury, the Hollow Hunter slammed his claws into the ice, creating a Devastator that threatened to impale the tamed Hollow from below. It was dodged easily as Hichigo jumped into the air, before swinging the blade and creating a powerful force similar to that of the Getsuga Tensho that raced towards the monster.

As the two beasts fought, Rangiku came over to check on Rukia, whom Alex had set down and was in a slight daze.

"_She's fine, maybe a little bruised._" Alex told her, keeping his eyes fixed to the Lieutenant's face to avoid looking down.

"_We have different definitions of 'fine', Mercer._" She replied.

"_Look, I got more bruised than she did, I just healed back up._"

"_I'll take her to Captain Unohana, Ran._" Said a small voice.

Yachiru stood next to them, her face held a worried expression than its usual smiling face, and she wasn't using nicknames. Well, not her usual silly ones, anyway.

"_You do that, Yachiru. We'll get back in the fight._"

"_I'm fine._" Rukia managed to pull out of her daze. "_Just had to get the ringing out of my ears, that's all._"

The pink haired girl nodded and rushed off, but didn't return to her perch. She now sat next to the still unconscious Kenpachi.

"_Are you sure you can still fight, Rukia?_" Matsumoto asked the small Soul Reaper.

"_Yes._" She stood, stubbornly refusing Alex's help, and faced the fight again. Both Hollow hybrids were staring each other down. When she took a step, she wobbled a little, and Rangiku sat her back down, arguing that she could heal her up before she went in and got herself killed. It was up to Alex to give them an edge in the fight.

"**How about you say something, bastard?**" Hichigo sneered at his opponent.

The Hollow Hunter remained silent save for a guttural snort. The stupidity of it made Hichigo laugh.

"**Guess all that rotting flesh made you mute. Sucks for you!**" With minimal effort Hichigo propelled himself forward.

Not far behind, the Hollow Hunter sprung and met Hichigo head on, the two hybrids battling it out like dogs. At one point Hichigo baked away and struck out with Zangetsu. The black blade clashed with flesh blade of his opponent before pulling back for another go. The force of Hichigo's strike was breaking up the ice Toshiro had placed.

The Hollow Hunter turned when it sensed Mercer approach, spinning to lash out with its claws. The virus backed up, teasing it, and snickered when the clawed arm was promptly severed by the forgotten Hichigo. It turned to retaliate, but its other arm was taken by Alex.

"Someone's getting slow." Alex jibed, that bloodthirsty smirk on his face again. He trusted Hichigo not to get caught by his own need to consume, seeing as the virus in him wanted the Hollow Hunter and only the Hollow Hunter.

It snarled at him, regenerating its arms much quicker, but at the cost of its Spiritual Pressure. Hichigo was the first to notice this and went to sever the legs. It used Sonido to avoid the blade, dropping from above and landing on the Hollow's back, tearing at him. Howling in fury and pain, Hichigo launched him off, another Cero forming between his horns.

"_Hey, you'll kill the city._" Alex warned him.

Hichigo mostly ignored him, aiming the Cero down slightly, but where it would still severely damage his prey. The beast readied its own Cero to clash like they did before. It shot.

Hichigo dodged, holding back his Cero, and shifted his aim before shooting the pent up energy. Sonido brought the Hollow Hunter out of range, but once again at the risk of its Spiritual Pressure. As it became more Hollow like, the power of the virus was trying to compete with it, and was ending up consuming the Hollow powers back under to avoid losing out. It was conflicting within it.

Not that it would stop this fight. Not until it had consumed Mercer, and maybe the other Soul Reapers as well. The injured were still up on that air platform, which with enough time, it could get to and consume before they had a chance to strike back.

"**Oi, Alex.**" Hichigo hissed, turning golden eyes on the virus. Alex tilted his head. "**Mind pinning it down for me? I want to blast him down to Hell.**"

"_That's hardly enjoyable for me._"

"**Fine, fight him, but I'll just have to blast you down too.**"

Growling at the threat, Alex complied and shifted his arms into thick tendrils to hold the Hollow Hunter down as it came back to fight them. He'd lose a bit of biomass, but it would just regenerate after a few meals of infected.

"**Better.**" Hichigo practically purred, another Cero forming, this one a little weaker since he knew it wasn't going anywhere.

Over by Rukia and Rangiku, Momo's throat had been healed by Izuru and she had returned, helping the healed Rukia up.

"_They might just kill it this time._" Rangiku said, also standing, her zanpaktou reverting from its protective shield of ash to the katana form.

The Hollow Hunter disagreed, ripping free from its prison with a burst of Spiritual Pressure. He fired a quick succession of weaker Ceros at Hichigo, effectively cutting off the Vasto Lorde's attack, and did one last attack to hopefully gain some headway in this fight.

Slamming its weaponized hands into the ground, it used the Devastator that rose from the ground to impale from below. Alex and Hichigo tensed, waiting for any hint of the spikes to move out of the way.

But it didn't hit them, it came nowhere near them.

From above, Toshiro watched as the spikes came up underneath Rangiku, Rukia and Momo.


	40. Finale Fight

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows"**

* * *

Alex gaped, Hichigo looked somewhat surprised, feeling Ichigo rage from within, and the other Soul Reapers froze in their actions to look horrified at the three girls pinned to the spikes before being dropped back to the iced ship none too gently.

But their horror was nothing compared to Toshiro's, as his rage rose and brought a blizzard down on them all. He fled the platform with the healer, his wound still bleeding though not as life-threatening, and immediately activated his Bankai with nothing but rage and thought. Hichigo and Alex were wise enough to vanish from the battlefield as the enraged ice Captain entered and attacked the Hollow Hunter with every bit of power he had.

Ice flared up in enormous spikes when his blade connected with the ground from a miss, icy winds threatened to blow them away. Toshiro's screams of absolute hatred could be heard for miles.

"_Damn, he's gotten scary."_ Alex felt weakened by the intense cold around him. His attention then turned to the three girls, leaving Hichigo to watch the fight. However, the Hollow followed after him, urged on by Ichigo to check up on Rukia.

They were met by Unohana, who, with Alex's help, got them off the ship and onto the energy platform and immediately tended to their fatal wounds. They were still alive, but only barely, and everyone who could did their best to help.

'_You're Queen will be fine._' Hichigo thought to his host, the teen still not relaxing at those words.

The Hollow felt frustrated too. Now he was going to have to deal with all that rain in Ichigo's Inner World again, and they'd finally managed to get the water down some! He was going to make that monster pay for his misery.

Looking back, he saw Hitsugaya still doing terrible damage to said beast and the surrounding area. He decided to wait when he wouldn't be frozen solid.

"_Thousand Years' Ice Prison!_" He shouted in rage, the chant managing to come out in full Japanese despite his missing Hell Butterfly.

Enormous pillars of ice rocketed from the already frozen ground. It turns out his attacks weren't completely random, he'd been setting the trap while attacking the Hollow Hunter as best he could. He turned his sword counter-clockwise in an almost violent way and the pillars shot towards the Hollow Hunter. It gave out a cry as the thick ice pillars trapped it and crushed it inside.

Though the beast was trapped inside, Toshiro felt like it wasn't enough. The rage still burned, and he wanted it to keep burning, so he didn't have to feel the terrible pain of losing not only one but three of his friends.

'_**Calm Toshiro, they're not dead yet.**_' Hyorinmaru was trying to cool the rage. '_**Retsu is attending them now.**_'

"_You saw that attack, Hyorinmaru!_" The tiny Captain shouted aloud. "_There's no way they can survive that!_"

'_**Unohana is a capable healer, they won't die under her hands.**_'

"_There's three of them and only one of her, she can't save them all!_" He choked back his tears, refusing to look weak.

'_**But she will try.**_'

"_Dammit Hyorinmaru, it's over! I failed!_"

"**Bullshit.**"

Startled by the voice of Hichigo and still furious, Toshiro whipped around to face the Hollow with ice wings spread and his sword held out.

"**Oi, watch where you point that thing.**" Hichigo growled. "**And calm down already, it's dead.**"

"_But so are they._" Toshiro snarled back.

"**Tch, you're stubborn. They aint dead, Shiro.**"

Toshiro didn't even bother correcting him, shaking his head violently instead at the Hollow's words.

"**I'm not one for comfort but you didn't fail. I don't think the dead bastard in your prison means failed mission.**"

"_I'm not talking about the mission!_" Hitsugaya's hands were shaking but he couldn't steady them. "_I failed Rangiku, and Rukia, and…and Momo…_"

"**Tell them that when they wake up.**" Hichigo snorted, but found his attention snatched by the ice prison. Mercer was standing next to it.

Toshiro also noticed the virus, stilling his hands and turning to him. Realizing he was being watched, Alex looked at him and gave a thumb up.

"_You're not switching languages anymore._" He said. "_Nice move by the way, I'm officially afraid to tick you off._"

"_That attack takes time._" Toshiro replied in a low tone. "_My enemy needs to be distracted so I can prepare it._"

"_And you did it while fighting with common sense thrown out the window, like I said, remind me not to tick you off._" His eyes suddenly turned hard as he remembered something. "_The bomb!_"

In the heat of battle, everyone had forgotten about the bomb, the machine attached to the top of the ship with ice while the bomb itself remained stubbornly unfrozen. Both Toshiro and Alex rushed over, only to realize it had less than a minute left on it.

"_We need to get it as far away as possible._" Toshiro commanded, his rage and grief momentarily forgotten in the fear of losing everything.

"_I'll do it. Do you guys have barrier that can stop it?_"

"_Some might be strong enough, but not all of us can cast it, and so many of us…_" For a moment his cold teal eyes melted into grief and pain as his mind wandered back to the three girls lying on Death's door at this very moment. Some reason, that look scared Alex more than the thought of being imprisoned in ice. It meant the Captain was breaking, and he wasn't about to let someone he'd come to know very well break down on him.

"_Do what you can, we need to hurry._" He brought the Captain out of his grief and began running across the ice, leaping onto a nearby helicopter that was coming to investigate the mass of ice that had suddenly appeared around their ship. After tossing the pilots into the cold water below, he turned the chopper over and Hitsugaya attached the bomb with a kido spell that Alex could easily break once he needed to.

Now he needed to get those who could to form a barrier as best they could around the island before it went off. They had thirty seconds left, if his glance at the numbers had been right. His ability to understand English was lessening as his native language became dominant again and kicked out the foreign words.

But he wasn't ready to go to Unohana, not with the three girls there. He didn't want to see their injuries. Glancing at Alex's speeding helicopter, he knew he had to and hid his pain before Flash Stepping up to them and telling them what they needed to do. Only he, Byakuya, Soi Fon and Izuru could do it, and he hoped it was enough. His eyes strayed to the three injured girls laid out next to Unohana, his eyes beginning to sting as tears threatened to come forth. Without hesitation, he launched away to begin forming the barriers.

Twenty seconds left.

Even as he busied himself with placing the barriers in front of where Unohana healed the others and around the island, he couldn't get the sight of them out of his mind. Rukia was pierced through the right side of her chest and her leg was mangled. Momo had been pierced through the stomach, in nearly the same place he had once stabbed her, thinking she was Aizen due to said man's illusions. But Rangiku's were the worst. Three of the spikes had run her through, one severing her arm, another leaving a hole in her torso, and the third mangling both her legs.

Those were not wounds any of them could heal from, even with Unohana working her hardest. No one could see him, so he let the tears fall while continuing his barrier run.

Ten seconds.

Alex was out of sight now, the barriers nearly finished. Byakuya passed Toshiro by as he went to check for any weak points, being the best Kido user, but said nothing about his state of being. He let the Captain be. After all, one of the injured was his little sister.

With his barriers finished, Izuru returned to help heal them.

Five seconds.

They'd put up as much protection as possible, gathering around the other Soul Reapers and erecting more before waiting for the explosion. The entire time, Hichigo sat on the icy ship and waited for the explosion with hardly contained excitement. What kind of bomb did these humans have with the intention of wiping out the virus? He wanted to know.

A black speck was seen heading back, no doubt Alex, but there was no way he could make it.

The timer went off deep within the ocean where Mercer had dropped it.

Fire rocketed up through the water and unleashed its explosive fury into the sky. Even miles away, the Soul Reapers, and Hichigo, could feel the blast it exerted. The dangerous part of the bomb was held back by the barriers, the only thing getting through was the extreme pressure.

Smoke rose high into the air in a mushroom cloud. Water turned to fire as it spread along the ocean towards them. The barriers were nearly at their limit. Unohana added her own around their group, and one around Hichigo below for good measure. If it got through, they would at least be safer. At least they could say they tried.

What took minutes seemed like hours. The barriers threatened to break, cracking dangerously as radiation leaked through. The blast force threatened to knock them over. Those Soul Reapers still able to move stood protectively in front of the injured, but if it truly broke, there wasn't much they could do.

Still in Bankai, Toshiro decided to try his strongest attack in the hopes of snuffing out the fire before it reached them. He didn't worry about Mercer, he had to be dead from that blast.

"_Frozen Heaven Hundred Flower Funeral!_"

Dark clouds swarmed over the fire's origin and released its burden of snow. With it came the blizzard, managing to weaken the blaze somewhat and putting pressure off their shields. The snow hit the flames and burst into icy flowers, melting among the fire, though the mass amount of water that formed from that did lessen the inferno further. Now their weakened barriers could hold back the explosion.

With the snow falling, the ocean forming back over the explosion site, and Toshiro's icy Spiritual Pressure, the flames of the explosive soon died down and became non-existent. The smoke cloud remained, radiation threatening to swallow them all if not for the barriers. Still, they were alive.

Most of them.


	41. Ashen

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

"_Toshiro._" Unohana called, her voice seeming somewhat relieved.

Hope flared in him and he ignored being called by his first name to rush over to her, getting out of Bankai. She was kneeling next to Hinamori, the small girl's breathing had returned to normal and her stomach injury looked less life threatening. Next to her, Rukia also seemed healthier, though her leg seemed limp and was tied off by a tourniquet.

Hichigo joined them, the mask fading and body returning to normal. Soon, the Hollow was gone and his host back in control, still in Bankai, kneeling next to Rukia with Byakuya right behind him.

Toshiro did the same for Momo, grabbing his sister's hand tightly and thanking any gods around to hear him for her safety.

'_**I told you they weren't dead.**_' Hyorinmaru crooned, though he too seemed immensely relieved by the results.

'_I'm sorry I yelled at you._' The ice child replied.

'_**You were upset; I don't blame you for your actions.**_**'**

The dragon got quiet so that Toshiro could sit with his childhood friend and sister as the healer continued her work.

Then he remembered something.

"_What about Matsumoto?_" His gaze turned to the healer hopefully.

Retsu's gaze turned hard and what little smile she had faded away rapidly. The fire of hope died in Toshiro.

"_U-Unohana?_"

"_I'm sorry, Captain. Her injuries were too much._" She did not meet his teal gaze, keeping her eyes focused on Momo.

"_Sh-She…_"

"_She did not make it, Toshiro. I'm sorry._"

His heart felt crushed.

'_Not Rangiku…_' He thought. '_She can't be dead._'

His dragon did not reply, remaining deadly silent. Setting Momo's hand down gently, he walked around the healer in a sort of stupor, all eyes on him, and then fell to his knees next to Rangiku. Her skin was as pale as her ash type zanpaktou, the well endowed chest not moving to intake air. Her wounds were mostly healed, but that only made the reality of her stillness clearer.

The ever so happy and usually drunk Lieutenant was gone.

"_Matsu…Matsumoto?_" Toshiro managed to get out, his voice cracking. He didn't want to believe she was gone. She'd survived a deadly hit before during the Winter War, and she'd taken longer to get healing. This couldn't have killed her.

"_Her lung was pierced and her heart scratched._" Unohana told him in a gentle manner, turning to face him finally. "_There was no way I could heal it fast enough._"

It was getting harder to keep his emotions in, his Spiritual Pressure was already beginning to spike out of his control. His hand reached out to her, shaking terribly. Before he could touch her hair, though, he realized he was about to lose it and left in a flash before the others got hurt.

Ichigo raced after him, with Renji about to follow had Yoruichi not stopped him.

"_Ichigo is good in these situations thanks to his sisters, let him handle it._" She told the red-head.

Of course, Toshiro knew he was being followed and tried to lose his pursuer. As strong as Ichigo was, he didn't want to get him frozen solid. He snaked through the island, ignoring the tears streaming down his face and trying to get away from people. The race led him to an area recently purged of infection; the military had already pulled out. The only creatures left were the occasional Hunter or pitiful walkers, no one that would be missed.

In a burst of wild Spiritual Pressure and a scream of emotional pain, ice flooded the area and turned it into a frozen wasteland, the clouds settled heavily over him as he fell to the ground and cried. Even his zanpaktou could not reach him in this state to comfort him. Hitsugaya let go of his control and did not move. The tears froze as they hit the ground and his normally hard teal eyes were shut tight as he hid his grief.

The sound of someone landing on his new icy plain still did not bring him from his sadness. Try as he might, he couldn't stop the crying now that he'd let it start. Instead, he curled up, hoping the Substitute would leave him alone.

"_Come on, Toshiro. You're stronger than that._" Ichigo sat next to the weeping child.

No answer, the white head of hair simply turned away, flipping himself over so his back was to Ichigo.

Sighing, Ichigo got quiet and settled for rubbing the Captain's back gently, like an older brother soothing his younger one. He could hear the boy sob every now and then; he was forcing himself to be quiet.

"_You're not alone, Toshiro. Rangiku had a lot of friends; they'll be mourning her too._" Ichigo said.

"_I know that_." Toshiro choked back. "_But it's my fault it happened._"

"_How?_"

Teal eyes opened to glance at him, before turning away again.

"_I should have realized what Cross was…if I had, I could have stopped him before this fight ever happened. I could've…I could've kept everyone out of it._" He paused, sniffing slightly. "_I got Rukia and Momo hurt too._"

"_No one could have known what that thing was going to do, even Hichigo didn't know, and he can usually tell these kinds of things._"

"_You're praising a Hollow._"

"_Yeah, well, he's my Hollow. Gotta give him some credit, being the bastard that he is._"

Though he couldn't see it, Toshiro did smirk slightly at the comment.

"_Besides, I'm not blaming you for anything, and neither is Byakuya. I'm sure Rukia and Momo will say the same thing when they wake up. It's not your fault, Toshiro._"

"_…Hisagi will be mad. He liked her the most._"

"_But he won't be mad at you, especially since you killed the monster that did it._"

He had a point, but Toshiro stubbornly held onto the belief that it was because he'd followed along with Cross's plan that Momo and Rukia were hurt and Rangiku dead. As his mind trailed back to the sight of her body he started crying again.

Ichigo stopped rubbing the boy's back and instead moved to help him sit up.

"_Hey!_" Toshiro complained, wiping away his tears instinctively before Ichigo saw them.

"_Stop whining already_." Ichigo replied, putting an arm around the Captain's shoulders in a comforting manner.

A little confused about what to do, Toshiro just went with his gut and buried his face into Ichigo's shoulder so the teen wouldn't see him still crying.

"_There, now you're not on the ground._"

Hitsugaya didn't reply, just silently wept.

'_**You should trust Ichigo more; he knows how to handle things like this.**_' Hyorinmaru said softly. '**_He's done it many times for his sisters and even his friends no doubt. He's more than willing to help anyone who needs it_.**'

'_You're right…again._'

"_The others will probably be heading back, we should go._" Ichigo made to stand.

Toshiro didn't realize what he did until after it happened. His hand shot up and gripped tightly to Ichigo's arm, holding him in place. Still confused about this reaction, Toshiro held firm and would not let go.

"_Toshiro we need to go._"

"_It's Captain Hitsugaya._" The tiny Captain muttered.

"_Well, CAPTAIN,_" Ichigo smirked as he emphasized the word, "_Could you let me go so we can return to the others?_"

"_No._"

The blunt reply caught the Substitute off guard.

"_We can't stay here forever, and the military will be able to see your 'improvement' to this place soon._"

"_I don't care._"

The Substitute scowled, realizing that the Captain holding tight to his arm wasn't going to let go any time soon.

"_Alright then we're doing this the hard way._"

His arms shifted position and Toshiro soon found himself being picked up and carried away from the ice field, which he'd begun to find comforting.

"_What do you think you're doing?_" He growled.

"_You won't let go on your own so I'm moving you._"

"_That's not fair!_"

Ichigo just smirked at Toshiro's childish behavior, the smirk faltering when he saw the Captain's eyes were still red from crying and his tears still falling. Quick to pick up on that he buried his face back in Ichigo's shoulder and mumbled something.

"_Eh?_"

"_I said that I don't want to go back yet._"

They stopped.

"_Why?_" Ichigo blinked.

"_I'm a Captain and I've lost control of my Spiritual Pressure. The others will get on me about it._"

"_Not if I have anything to say. Besides, they probably wanted to cry just as much as you did._"

"_That doesn't change anything; I'm the one that lost it._"

"_Yeah well you're still a kid_."

"_Am not!_"

"_Okay, you're older than me, but to Soul Society, you're a kid. Nope, don't deny it._" He managed to cut off Toshiro's snap back. "_That's why you're a 'child' prodigy. You show that off but then say you're not a kid. That contradicts yourself._"

"_And so the Substitute can learn._" Toshiro huffed.

Ichigo made to retort to that, but remembering who he was talking to, he ended up laughing instead. The laughter only made Toshiro angrier.

"_Alright, I won't force you back, but don't go sulking off again._"

Ichigo set the child down, checking to make sure he was stable, and started walking away. Teal eyes watched him leave.

'_**If he hadn't come to you, you would still be among the ice crying.**_' Hyorinmaru pointed out.

'_So…_'

'_**He's closer to you than you think, otherwise you wouldn't have been so open towards him like a few moments ago.**_'

'_…_'

'_**As I told you, he's good in these situations; he just doesn't seem like it.**'_

_'Leave me alone, Hyorinmaru, you're not helping.'_

Hyorinmaru rumbled comfortingly but was otherwise silent. Turning his eyes away from Ichigo he walked in the general direction of the island's edge where the bomb had gone off. With Mercer dead, no doubt the souls trapped in him would be swarming back onto the island. Maybe even the real Mercer was there, and he could finally tear away from being the Blacklight Virus.


	42. Virus Reincarnate

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

"_Hell Butterfly" _"Radio"

'_Hichigo'_ "**Hollows**"

* * *

A Hell Butterfly fluttered next to his head. It took him a moment to notice it, but once he did he held his hand out for it to land on.

"_Rukia Kuchiki and Momo Hinamori have been taken to the Squad Four barracks for recovery, Ichigo Kurosaki has returned to Karakura Town, and the Captains and Lieutenants have returned to Soul Society. A memorial will be held for Rangiku Matsumoto in four days, by popular request of multiple Soul Reapers. We await your return._" Soi Fon's report finished and the butterfly left.

It had been an hour since he had left them and lost control of his emotions. He forced the memory of Rangiku's body from his mind as it tried to torture him again, setting his gaze back on the waters. It was comfortable here, by the waves, the cold ocean breeze managing to soothe his nerves.

In the span of that hour, he'd managed to use Soul Burial on almost thirty souls that Alex had consumed. Most of them were victims of the infected, though some were soldiers, the rest being souls trapped in the infected Alex then consumed. One or two souls came back to the island as a Hollow, but they didn't even step fully into the city before Toshiro silently executed them.

No sign of Mercer, from what he could tell.

After another twenty minutes and five more Soul Burials, Toshiro noticed a familiar Spiritual Pressure. Weak as it was, it was definitely Mercer.

A crow landed next to him, a mass of flesh crawling over it and consuming it. Somewhat disturbed by that, Toshiro made to kill the virus mass with a burst of Spiritual Pressure, when he realized the blob was what was left of Alex. Still unable to fully form, Alex went for projecting himself in soul form instead.

"_How did you survive that?_" Toshiro spoke first.

"_What a welcome._" Alex smirked. "_Cross didn't want to consume me for nothing. Remember what he said?_"

"_That when he consumed you he'd be able to survive the bomb._"

"_He had to mean I could survive it too, or he wouldn't have said that._"

The white haired Captain nodded, before posing a different question.

"_How come you're still the virus when most of the other souls you've consumed are free?_"

"_Well, I'm stuck to the virus permanently now. Remember, I am the virus, my soul is trapped. The others I managed to let go of when the explosion ripped me apart._"

That surprised Toshiro, causing him to look at the virus in shock.

"_You let them go?_"

"_Yeah, since I was already dying, I managed to separate them from me. I guess…even though I lost all those souls, something remained to let me survive the blast._"

"_I see…what are you going to do now?_"

Alex paused, thinking for a moment. He stuffed his hands into his pocket.

"_Not sure. The virus still needs to be taken care of._"

"_It's already gone; there were more Soul Reapers than the ones in the fight. Except for a few that Captain Kurotsuchi took back with him for experiments, the virus is all gone. And then there's still you._"

"_Then maybe I should be asking you what you're going to do now._" Mercer took a cautious step back.

Sighing, Toshiro flipped his sword and performed a Soul Burial on a soul that had tried to sneak around him to escape to the island. Two others were roaming the city, having gotten by as he spoke. Something sparked in Mercer's eyes when he saw the soul form into a black butterfly and leave for Soul Society.

"_I have no orders to kill you, but I don't think the Head Captain will agree with letting you roam around without supervision. Even though the souls moving on now are thanks to you, the fact is you still need to consume to survive, just like a Hollow. And just like a Hollow, you'll pose a threat to the balance of souls._"

"_So what if you get orders to kill me?_"

There was no reply at first as Toshiro turned to send off another soul. He wondered just how many souls had been inside Alex.

"_Let's hope its not me._" This time Toshiro didn't turn back, walking away towards where a Hollow would soon reach land and try to wreak havoc. Hyorinmaru brushed the waters edge as he walked, turning it to ice that snaked through the waters in the form of a red-eyed ice dragon and snapping the Hollow in two.

"_What if I went to them?_" Alex called after him.

Surprised, Toshiro turned back to face him.

"_I know i probably sound insane right now-_"

"_I'm used to it._"

Alex smirked, noticing the icy Captain was smirking slightly as well.

"_Let them see me for themselves, then this Head Captain guy can figure out what to do with me._" Alex couldn't step to far from the mass of flesh that was his solid form. "_The virus is gone and I really don't have anything to do…maybe they can find a replacement for me to feed on instead of souls…I can consume Hollows._"

"_Hollows are still souls, even if corrupted._" Toshiro replied. "_Our zanpaktou don't kill them off completely, they cleanse them and allow the soul of the Hollow to move on. If a human was evil before dying and becoming a Hollow, then they are sent to Hell._"

"_Damn._"

"_However, perhaps Captain Kurotsuchi can figure something out from the infected he took back with him to Soul Society._"

"_You realize the virus will spread there, right?_"

"_Mayuri's already taken that into account and is cutting off their ability to spread. Even if they did, Soul Reapers aren't so easily corrupted, or did you forget that our zanpaktou make us immune?_"

Alex scratched the back of his head as that bit of information came back to him.

"_Fine. Tell your Head Captain that I won't move from this island. If he wants to tell me something, I'll be waiting._"

Toshiro looked at the virus with some measure of respect. The paranoid and somewhat vicious virus he'd come to know had really turned himself around. He let the souls inside of him go, he was willing to let Kurotsuchi find a way to fix his consumption problem, and even wanted to risk meeting with the Head of Soul Reapers himself.

"_Let's hope you keep your word._" Toshiro said, lifting up Hyorinmaru and stabbing it into the air. Half the blade vanished as it went into something unseen. "_Unlock._"

He twisted his blade and a line of light appeared, revealing a set of Japanese doors that Alex remembered seeing when Rukia and Renji first showed up. The doors opened and allowed a Hell Butterfly to flutter through.

"_Either I or another Soul Reaper will be back to contact you…or kill you._" Toshiro said over his shoulder as he stepped into the Senkaimon with the butterfly.

The doors closed and Alex sighed, he either needed to find more birds or find some sadistic bastard that didn't deserve to live to consume before they came to find him. Hell if he was going down without a fight.

The crossing back to Soul Society took the normal amount of time, but it seemed long enough to give Toshiro time to think about everything that had happened. Rukia and Momo were safe at least, which was better than what he imagined. As far as he could tell all three of them were going to die. However, the loss of Rangiku hit him hard. He didn't just lose a Lieutenant, he lost a friend. Even if she was constantly getting drunk, she could be reliable and strong. During the Diamond Dust Rebellion, she stood up for him when others doubted his loyalty.

And now she was gone.

It was something he knew he'd never forget, just like the battle with Aizen. This mission would be one of those forever ingrained in his memory, threatening to drown him.

Once he stepped through into Soul Society he found two other Soul Reapers rush to his side.

"_Captain Hitsugaya, Captain Ukitake wishes to speak with you._" Said the third seat of Squad Thirteen, Kiyone Kotetsu. Next to her was Sentaro Kotsubaki, also third seat. Jushiro Ukitake said he couldn't pick between the two, and so made them both his third seat.

Kiyone lifted her dark blonde head up to look for his reaction with gray eyes. Her white gloved hands were tucked in front of her. Sentaro also looked up, gauging Toshiro's reaction with worried eyes, black hair still brushed up.

"_Alright, thank you._" The Captain replied calmly, using Flash Step towards the Squad Thirteen barracks.

The two third seats watched him leave, for once not arguing.

"_He's really depressed._" Kiyone frowned deeply.

"_Really?_"

"_You could see it in his eyes._"

"_But it's impossible to tell what he's feeling._" Sentaro began arguing.

"_Exactly, but I can see he's depressed. That means he's really depressed._" Kiyone didn't take into the argument, starting her way back to the barracks.

Toshiro took his time getting to the barracks after deciding he'd only used Flash Step to avoid their arguing, if they did start arguing. He wondered what the Squad Thirteen Captain wanted with him, and why the Soul Reapers walking by either gave him looks of pity or deep respect. To those who pitied him, he glared defiantly. He was hurt, but not broken by Rangiku's death.

He soon found himself in front of the door to where the Captain of Squad Thirteen usually sat, most of the time being sickly and unable to go anywhere. His hand remained poised inches away from the door as if to knock, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Somehow, he had a feeling the Captain was going to try and comfort him with candy and sugar coated lies. He didn't need those right now.

Eventually giving in he forced his knuckles to hit the door gently a couple times.

The door slid open, revealing the pale Captain with long white hair and kind brown eyes, the black eyebrows standing out from his hair.

"_Ah, Hitsugaya. Come on in._" Jushiro smiled softly, opening the door to allow the smaller Captain in.

"_What is it you-_"

His question was cut off as he realized he wasn't the only one there. Multiple friends of Rangiku's, as well as several he was acquainted with, were waiting in the room.


	43. Welcome to Friendship

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

"_What…?_" Toshiro didn't know what to say, forgetting his mouth was hanging open.

"_We wanted to speak with you before the memorial._" Isane Kotetsu spoke, a tall woman with silvery gray hair and gray eyes.

The word memorial made Toshiro loose his control ever so briefly, and they saw that flash of grief and pain before he put himself back together.

"_What…What about?_" He asked carefully.

"_We heard what happened back on the island._" Jushiro sat down next to his old friend Shunsui. "_And we wanted to let you know that you weren't alone._"

"_Weren't?_"

"_Lieutenants Shuhei Hisagi and Izuru Kira had quite the fit._" Soi Fon pushed the two men forward. They looked down shamefully and scratched their heads. "_Never have I seen men cry so much, except for my useless Lieutenant_."

Yoruichi snickered slightly, before regaining a calm face to keep with the mood.

"_It probably wasn't as disastrous as what I did._" Toshiro muttered.

"_If I could freeze the area around me when I was upset, I'd have been kicked out for causing so many problems in the Seireitei._" Ikkaku Madarame spoke up, his bald head shining in the light and the red mascara making his thin eyes look almost feminine.

"_You already cause problems in the Seireitei._" His partner Yumichika Ayasegawa said, he was a much more feminine man with neat black hair, feathers on his face, and a braid to his left.

"_Shut up!_"

"_Haha, Baldy got mad!_" Yachiru giggled. She turned her red eyes on Toshiro before jumping onto his back. "_We're with ya all the way, Shiro!_"

"_Get off._" Toshiro said, though he didn't really try to move her and hardly had any force in his voice. The pink haired girl refused to get off and he didn't stop her.

He looked to see who else was there. Hanatarou waved to him nervously in a corner, Squad Five Captain Shinji Hirako just grinned slightly, Nanao sat with her Captain and kept a close eye on him, Renji stood with Lieutenant Tetsuzaemon Iba and Captain Sajin Komamura. The large dog Captain nodded, his normally serious golden eyes held a grief of its own. His Lieutenant's eyes were hidden by his usual sunglasses.

"_I don't need sympathy._" Toshiro managed to get some of his command back into his voice.

"_So you say, but we know better._" Shinji seemed to find cleaning out his ear more interesting, but somehow managed to stay in the conversation.

"_You blame yourself for what happened, don't you?_" Isane seemed genuinely concerned about the young Captain.

No reply was given.

"_Well, you can compete with Kira and Hisagi; they seem to think the same thing._" Yoruichi stepped over to him. "_As does everyone else who went…well, except for Kurotsuchi, but we all know he doesn't give a damn about anyone._"

Most everyone in the room agreed with her.

"_You don't get it, I had a way to prevent all of this, but I let it happen._" Toshiro snapped.

She raised a purple eyebrow, curious. With great difficulty, he told the reason for his blame on himself that he had already told Ichigo. About how Cross had contacted him and he played along instead of stopping him then and there, all because he was willing to help Alex get his memories back.

"_If I'd done what I was supposed to, Rangiku…would still be…_"

The tears were threatening to come again, so he silenced, turning his face away. On his back, Yachiru pulled herself up a little more to try and see him, only to have him turn further away.

"_Shiro…_" She said sadly.

"_We already know, Toshiro._" Shunsui spoke up, peeking out from under his hat.

"_What?!_"

"_Ichigo told us already, and we'd thought he'd managed to change your mind about that._" Yoruichi explained. "_Guess he didn't quite make it._"

"_But I know it's my fault!_"

"_Stop it, Hitsugaya._"

Shocked that the former Soul Reaper had finally used his last name, Toshiro froze.

"_Look at it this way. If you hadn't gone along with the plan, Alex would have never gotten his memories and we wouldn't know what he was or how it got to be that way. We wouldn't have been able to get to the bomb and stop it before thousands were killed. Yes, losing Rangiku was terrible, but think of how it would be if the entire island died instead?_"

"_I…_" Toshiro wanted so bad to argue, but in his grief-stricken state, nothing came to mind. He wanted to blame himself, to take the punishment so no one else would, because in the end it came down to his decisions that let this happen.

'_**You need to stop blaming yourself, Toshiro.**_' Hyorinmaru purred. '_**They want to help you, not embarrass you. Just let go.**_'

'_I'm a Captain, if I do that…_'

'_**Izuru and Shuhei are Lieutenants, but they were perfectly fine with crying.**_'

'_That's normal for them, since they're always drunk. I'm a child prodigy; I can't break down like this. I already did it once._'

'_**You are a child, Toshiro, and something like this is too much to hold in.**_'

He felt Yachiru tugging lightly on his hair.

"_Shiro, are you talking to Draco?_" She asked him.

"_Yeah…I was._"

"_What did he say?_"

"_He…he said I._" Toshiro took a deep breath before continuing. "_That I should just let go, that it's too much to hold in._"

"_A smart suggestion from a smart dragon._" Jushiro smiled.

"_But I'm a Captain!_"

"_Let's pretend you're not._" Yachiru grinned. "_Yay, Shiro's a kid like me now!_"

The ball of energy hopped off his back and jumped onto Ikkaku's instead, attempting to bite at his head. Reacting swiftly, the bald man tossed her off onto Jushiro, who stuffed a piece of candy into her mouth to calm her.

"_I'm not-_" Toshiro stopped his usual retort short.

Sensing his confusion about the situation, Isane stepped over, having to kneel down to be his height, and hugged him tightly. Teal eyes widened at the gesture and his body tensed.

'_**Don't hold it in.**_' Hyorinmaru reminded him.

And so he gave up and hugged her back, burying his face in her shoulder and letting the tears come out again. A part of him was embarrassed and upset with the situation, but at the moment, he didn't care. Within him Hyorinmaru hummed softly.

Yachiru was on his back again, hugging him from behind. Hisagi and Kira shamelessly started bawling again and hugged each other.

There was a knock on the door and Isane let go for a moment to look curiously at the shadow behind it. Hitsugaya went behind her, still somewhat uncomfortable with his predicament and unwilling to let anyone else see it.

"_Captain Hitsugaya, there is someone who wishes to speak with you._" Came Retsu's voice. "_We'll be coming in._"

The healer slid the door gently opened and stepped to the inside of the door. Toshiro gaped as he saw the person being led to him by the two third seats of Squad Thirteen.

"_H-Hinamori?_"


	44. Memories

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

The small girl smiled when she cast her gaze on him.

"_Shiro!_" She ran forward and hugged him tight, tighter than Isane had. "_I'm so glad you're okay._"

"_Of course I am, but your wounds…_"

"_Captain Unohana fixed them right up._" She looked at him and smiled. "_She still made me walk here, that's why it took so long._" Then she hugged him tight again. He couldn't help but hug her back.

"_How's Rukia?_" Renji asked Retsu, letting Toshiro be calmed by his 'sister'.

"_She should be fully recovered by morning, but I want both her and Hinamori to avoid stressful work and exercise for a few days._" Unohana replied. "_You as well, Toshiro. I may not be able to keep Kenpachi still, and the others weren't as bad, but the wound to your arm will be a hindrance and I want you to wait until it is fully healed before going back into fighting._"

"_Understood._" Toshiro nodded to her, looking at the wicked scar left on his arm. It had pained him when he jumped back into the fight to finish off the Hunter, but rage had won over pain and he got by.

"_Actually, I've asked the Head Captain to give you a week off of work._"

"_What?_" Toshiro looked at her curiously. "_I only need to stay out of fighting, right?_"

"_To let your arm heal. But that's not all that needs healing._" She gave him a genuinely kind smile; not the one that usually meant 'obey', but one that actually let him know she was worried about him.

His eyes fell downward, the meaning of her words very clear to him. While he was grateful for her concern, he didn't want everyone to start babying him.

"_I'll be fine in a few days; I don't need a whole week._" He spoke with confidence.

The healer seemed to consider this for a brief moment.

"_Let's see what the Head Captain says._" She answered. "_I want you to rest for a week, but if he says otherwise, then I guess you get your wish._"

The young Captain gave a respectful bow to her in thanks, watching her leave before letting out a sigh.

For some time after, he remained silent, though the others did their best to comfort him. Occasionally he would speak and let them know he was thankful for their help, but refused to cry even when it felt like his eyes were burning. Only Momo seemed to ever get anything out of him, managing to coax out a pent up tear so he wouldn't implode from all his withheld emotions.

In three days time, the memorial for Rangiku was held. More Soul Reapers came to the event than he had predicted, even those from the district she grew up in that knew her, old drinking friends. Even Gin Ichimaru, the fox-faced silver haired man that was Rangiku's childhood friend managed to convince Unohana to let him go, even if under heavy guard with a Squad Four member to watch for any sign of extreme pain. He wasn't fully recovered from the Winter War.

Gin did not smile at the memorial. Not once.

The normal traditions were upheld to honor Rangiku after her death, and with so many Soul Reapers participating, it was a wonder she wasn't a celebrity.

During those days, and the few after, Toshiro was not allowed to leave the Seireitei. Rukia had worse wounds then Momo, but was out and about, her leg fully healed though a little sore. She was still on bed rest while Momo was back in action. His English had almost vanished, though a word or two would pop out. His arm was already healed, the scar now pale and thin, and yet Unohana would not let him participate in any fights. He could go back to paperwork, and attend Captain's meetings, though there was only one to discuss the events passed on Manhattan Island, but he could not do the more important duties of a Captain.

In short, he felt like a prisoner.

It was only alone in his room did he allow himself to cry, to let it go as Hyorinmaru suggested. Momo would visit him sometimes; she'd be his support through the worst parts, like the anxiety attacks. He hadn't had those since he was even younger when everyone made fun of him for his looks.

By the end of two weeks, he knew he needed to do something. Unohana couldn't lock him in his office forever. Perhaps a visit to the Kurosaki house would help him relieve stress. He could play soccer with Karin Kurosaki, the black haired twin and one of Ichigo's younger sisters. Those were fun sometimes. And it wasn't like he'd be fighting, just kicking a ball.

He would just visit for a day or two, to relieve stress and get some fresh air.

Resolve strengthened, Toshiro stood to head to the Squad One barracks. Only a kido spell would put him back in that chair.

Just as he stepped outside of the barracks, a Hell Butterfly greeted him with a sweet bell sound. He held out his hand.

"_Toshiro Hitsugaya, your presence is requested in the Head Captain's office._" Spoke the Squad One Lieutenant.

"_Just my luck._" Toshiro sighed, letting the butterfly go and continuing his path.

It didn't take long for the Squad Ten Captain to enter the large space that was Yamamoto's office.

"_You wished to see me, Head Captain?_" Bowing respectfully, Toshiro awaited for the old man's words.

When there was no reply, Hitsugaya looked over to him.

He was asleep.

A tick mark formed and the young Captain growled.

"_Head Captain._" He snapped loudly.

Opening thin eyes, the Head Captain seemed to finally notice him there. He spoke like he hadn't fallen asleep.

"_Captain Hitsugaya, I have some questions for you about Alex Mercer._"

Mercer. It had been two weeks since he'd thought about the Blacklight Virus with a human conscious.

"_Is he to be killed, Head Captain?_"

"_No, not yet. I only know the basics from Soi Fon and the others, but seeing as you've spent the most time with him, I found it would be better to ask you about him._"

"_Why didn't you ask me earlier?_"

"_You were recovering._"

"_I didn't need two weeks, sir._"

"_You could use the time off anyway. Back to business, Hitsugaya, tell me about Mercer._"

Recounting the events on the island, Toshiro relayed all he could about the man turned virus. From abilities to personality and looks. The latter was harder to describe, since Mercer has the ability to shape shift.

"_I see. He requested a meeting with me, did he_?"

"_Yes. He was wondering if we could find a way to stop his need to consume so he wouldn't be a threat anymore. He just wants to live normally, perhaps even protect others._"

"_He cannot live like a human, that man._" Yamamoto said somewhat harshly. "_It would be like an Arrancar trying to fit in with humans._"

"_I know, but he was willing to try._"

Hands behind his back, Toshiro waited calmly for the verdict on Alex's life, wondering why he was being so defensive for the virus.

"_Hm, Captain Kurotsuchi managed to create a sort of anti-virus from the victims he'd managed to obtain. His most success was with the virus Unohana had extracted from Yoruichi._"

"_It tried to infect Yoruichi?_" Toshiro was somewhat shocked by that.

"_She isn't protected by a zanpaktou, but Unohana remedied that quickly. She gave the virus to Kurotsuchi and he had quite a bit of success._"

"_The virus was indeed beginning to become a Hollow like species, which is why the zanpaktou are so effective against them._" Came Kurotsuchi's high pitched voice, startling Toshiro. "_It wasn't all that hard to create an anti-virus from it. However, Mercer is completely different from the strain that infected the city. The one you fought, Elizabeth and Cross, were actually from a strain known as Redlight. Alex is the only Blacklight Virus, because those of the Blacklight become sentient viral entities, while those of the Redlight are mindlessly controlled by a Queen._"

"_But the Blacklight strain came from Elizabeth._" Toshiro reminded.

"_Yes, and yet Alex didn't follow her blindly. That's why she stuck to the Redlight, they did what she wanted. In fact, Alex could do the same if he ever wanted. He could create other sentient viruses with his own strain while controlling a Redlight strain. Mercer could possibly take over the world with his abilities._"

"_He won't, I've changed him._"

"_So it seems, but it has been some time since you've been with him._"

Tension filled the air as the possibilities of returning to find Alex insane once more filled their minds.

_"For all we know, he could be destroying the human population as we speak._"


	45. Making Peace with Death

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

"_Captain Kurotsuchi, you are to find a way to stop Mercer's ability to consume. Work with Unohana as cures are her specialty_." Yamamoto ordered. "_Captain Hitsugaya_."

"_Yes?"_ Teal eyes turned back to the aged Soul Reaper. Mayuri left behind him muttering about working with the healer.

"_Take three others with you and find Mercer. If he is as you left him, bring him here and I will speak with him. If he has turned into a virus leader, kill him_."

Nodding, Toshiro left the building to find who he thought would be of help if Alex went for a fight.

Somewhere in Manhattan Island, a young teenage boy kicked at a rock. Occasionally he would look around at the space he was in, the central park area. After the virus outbreak, the trees were starting to recover their leaves and the water had been cleaned.

"_Man, this is boring._" The teen scowled, kicking a rock into the clear water and stirring up the mud at the bottom.

Kicking rocks at the water wasn't helping him. He saw others swimming in the waters to relieve themselves from the heat of the late summer. Soon it would be too cold to swim, and people wanted to enjoy the peace of it while they could. The teen himself detested water and walked away into the trees.

He thought he saw a light up in the abandoned hotel suite to his right, outside of the park area. Then it faded, and he was left to wonder if he was seeing things again.

Then he felt it, that cold breeze that was far too unnatural for this time of year, a cold that came from the afterlife.

He smirked.

"_About damn time, Captain._"

The two parties met on the top of the hotel suite where the Senkaimon had opened. Once there, the teen reverted to the true form behind the mask, Alex Mercer.

"_Was wondering when you'd show up, it's been kinda boring killing off all the damn Hollows._" He was still able to speak Japanese. His predatory eyes swept over the three figures standing behind the familiar white haired Captain. Ichigo he recognized, the bald man and the girl with a book and glasses he did not.

"_Is that all you've been fighting?_" Toshiro raised an eyebrow.

"_Duh_." Alex sported a bored expression. "_It's been two weeks, where were you?_"

"_Recovering. And a…memorial._" Teal eyes wavered in their fierce expression.

"_Memo…wait, I thought everyone was fine? You didn't mention anyone had died_." Mercer seemed genuinely shocked.

"_It wasn't the time then_." Toshiro turned away.

"_This is not a subject we need to be discussing_." Spoke the girl with glasses. "_I am Nanao Ise, Lieutenant of Squad Eight. The man beside me is Ikkaku Madarame, Third Seat of Squad Eleven._"

Ikkaku just twitched his hand in a curt wave.

"_Assuming you know Ichigo, we need to be moving on._" Kurosaki snorted at her, annoyed. "_The Head Captain wishes to speak with you_."

"_Well, I've been waiting long enough. Do we go now?"_

"_Not just yet._" Toshiro tossed the virus a small object. It didn't look all that much different from the translation bracelets, with the exception of being thicker with an inset panel. "_That's an item from Urahara, it will allow your body to be converted to spirit energy when you step through, otherwise you'll die on the journey there. Soul Society is a place for spirits, so you therefore need to be a spirit."_

_"I can tell this is going to feel weird_." Alex muttered, slipping on the thick bracelet.

"_Knowing Kisuke, it might hurt a little bit."_ Ichigo warned.

"_I have no doubt_." Toshiro agreed, looking a little miffed about it.

It was Nanao that opened the Senkaimon for them to go back, a fifth butterfly fluttering out and hovering next to Alex. He made to swat at it but Hitsugaya stopped him.

"_Kill it and you can't get through_." He told him.

_"…Oh, well then. Guess the butterfly is cool…_" The virus didn't seem to like the little black bug hovering so close.

Rolling his eyes, the Captain led him through into the Precipice World and into Soul Society.

"_Didn't even need me_." Ichigo grumbled before going off about missing school. "_Guess I'll head home, see ya_."

"_He doesn't live here?_" Alex questioned.

"_Ichigo is a Substitute, a human with Soul Reaper powers. He still has a life to live in the World of the Living and can't always be here. The reason he became a Soul Reaper was to protect his family_." Nanao cited off.

The Substitute's leave led them down to four. Ikkaku decided being a guide was boring and also left. Together, Nanao and Toshiro finished the trip to the Squad One barracks. Lieutenant Sasakibe was awaiting them.

"_The other Captains are already gathered, Captain Hitsugaya. They await you and Mercer_."

"_Thank you, Lieutenant._" Toshiro nodded and stepped inside. Alex was caught up with the scenery.

"_Mercer, inside_." Nanao snapped, startling him somewhat.

Wordlessly, the humanoid virus walked inside with his shoulders slumped. He didn't know many of the Captains, only Toshiro, Byakuya and Soi Fon, and somewhat Kenpachi. There wasn't much to understand there. As for the other nine, he didn't…no, he recognized the woman with the black braid, but he'd forgotten her name. So it was eight of the Captains he didn't know at all.

"_Alex Mercer_." Yamamoto spoke loudly, bringing the predatory gaze to him. Toshiro took his spot between Shunsui and Mayuri. "_From my understanding, you are an incarnation of the Blacklight Virus_."

"_You could say that_." Alex replied in his gravelly tone. The multiple stares were bringing back his paranoia.

"_You consume others to live. In that sense, you are like a Hollow_."

"_It's not like I want to_." Mercer argued, but the heat began to rise in the room, stifling him. Heat didn't bother him as much as the cold, but it was still a significant difference that he knew this old man was not one to argue with.

"_Mayuri, if you will_."

"_Of course_." The face painted scientist stepped forward holding a needle, sending up warning flags and making Alex's arm shift slightly as he made to transform it into a weapon. "_Oh relax, it won't hurt much. This serum will stop you from needing to consume others to survive. Or, it should._"

"_Should?"_ Alex growled, backing away.

"_Perhaps you should be a little gentler, Captain Kurotsuchi._" Unohana suggested with her dangerous smile.

"_He's a virus, what's one prick_?" Mayuri argued back.

"_That's exactly why you should be more careful._" Toshiro added. "_He's very paranoid_."

"_Glad you remembered._" Alex scoffed.

"_Let him do it and it won't hurt so much…trust me._" The ice Captain shuddered as he remembered the few times Mayuri had to inject him with something. He never liked shots; no one did when it came to the Squad Twelve Captain.

"_There, see, even Hitsugaya knows it's better to let me finish my work._" The insane smile wasn't really sitting well with Alex and it was written all over his face.

The Head Captain sighed and Unohana took her cue.

"_Captain Kurotsuchi, why don't you let me handle this_?" She asked sweetly, walking over to take the needle without further questioning. A glance at the Head Captain and Mayuri handed it over, albeit very reluctantly. The healer turned to Alex. "_Now, Mercer, please allow me to give you this shot. I promise not to make it hurt_."

While she seemed somewhat more willing to be careful, her dangerous smile also creeped him out. A blast of cold Spiritual Pressure finally put him out and he held his arm out for her to inject the serum, removing the biomass of leather for her so she could go directly to his skin. If anything, the threat of becoming an icicle was more effective than either Mayuri's threats or Retsu's honey coated danger. The other Captains looked approvingly at their icy Captain, who smirked slightly. Alex was still tightly on his leash.

The sting of the needle didn't bother Alex at all, the burning pain he felt as the serum took effect did. The virus was having its structure changed as its need to consume became nonexistent. The Soul Reapers looked less like meals and more like friends now.

After watching their visitor do his best to hide the burning pain and twitching miserably because of it, the Soul Reapers noticed him calm and began to relax themselves. Retsu and Mayuri took their spots again and Alex sat on the floor to rest, looking up at the Head Captain for any more surprises.

"_Did it work?_" Yamamoto asked him.

"_I have no idea, but I'm not hungry, if that's what you mean._" Alex replied.

"_Of course that's what he means, dimwit_." Mayuri scoffed, making Alex growl. "_You're a virus, and as such, the only source of food you need is the biomass of other living things. However, this serum changes your structure so that you won't need biomass as often. In fact, the only biomasses you'll be able to consume are that of Hollows, and when you do, you will still take their energy but allow the soul itself to move on_."

"_Why just Hollows_?" Mercer stopped growling and seemed curious about this new development.

"_The Head Captain has a proposition for you_." Toshiro replied, cutting off Mayuri's smartass remark he was going to make.

All eyes turned to Yamamoto.

"_Now that you no longer need to feed on humans, and in turn Soul Reapers, you are less of a threat. However, your abilities still make it a high risk to let you run around unchecked. As such, there is a deal I have for you_."

Tilting his head somewhat, the virus stood and stepped closer to hear the offer.

"_As long as you protect humans and souls alike, and only fight against Hollows, the Soul Society will allow you to live_."

"_I survived a nuclear explosion and you think you can kill me?_" Alex's shoulders slumped, missing the manic gleam in Kenpachi's eyes as he spoke.

"_We did too, remember_?" Retsu smiled dangerously.

"_Should I encase you in the same prison as the Hollow Hunter, Mercer_?" Toshiro raised an eyebrow, teal eyes holding a slight mischief rare for him.

At the memory of the giant ice pillars, Alex decided surviving Soul Reapers would be a lot harder than surviving a bomb. As long as people like Toshiro were around anyway.

"_Alright, I accept the offer. I protect humans and you let me stay un-frozen. Works for me._" He frowned when one or two of the Captains chuckled, Jushiro sending a glance at Hitsugaya.

"_Very well, you are to keep in touch and report at least once a month_."

"_Err, how_?"

"_You will be taught how to summon Hell Butterflies_." Soi Fon responded.

"_Moving on_." Yamamoto grumbled. "_The Soul Reapers you will be reporting to are Captain Hitsugaya, as you know him best, and myself. Every five years, Captain Hitsugaya will come to check on you_."

Alex nodded, eyes darting to Toshiro as he bowed respectfully with a solid 'understood!' in military fashion.

"_Dismissed!"_

The Soul Reapers disbanded from their lines and Soi Fon took Alex outside to show him how to summon Hell Butterflies. Just about to leave himself, Toshiro was stopped by Captains Ukitake and Kyoraku.

"_However did you get that man to be so afraid of you_?" Jushiro asked.

"_It was during the fight with the Hollow Hunter I spoke about in the last meeting._" Hitsugaya replied. "_After he attacked, Momo, Rukia and…Rangiku, I lost a bit of self-control and used my Thousand Years' Ice Prison attack. Mercer told me himself he now fears making me angry."_

"_Impressive. I don't think he'll be giving us any trouble, then._" Shunsui smirked.

"_Let's hope not._" The white haired Captain turned away and left, merely sparing a glance as Soi Fon did her best to get Alex to summon a Hell Butterfly to him.

Now that everything with Mercer was resolved, he needed to get back to finishing the stack of paperwork waiting for him, and the ones on Rangiku's desk. That was another thing he needed to take care of, something he needed to take care of quickly. He needed a new Lieutenant, and soon.


	46. Epilogue

_"Speaking Japanese" _"Speaking English"

_'Thinking' **'****Zanpaktou'**_

_"Hell Butterfly" "_Radio"

'_Hichigo_' "**Hollows**"

* * *

"_How long since Mercer has reported, Wakaba?_" Toshiro looked up from where he rested his head on his desk.

"_Exactly a month, Captain. He should be reporting in tonight, if his record stays the same._" Replied Natsuko Wakaba, the newly appointed Lieutenant of Squad Ten. She pushed a strand of her dirty blonde hair from in front of dark hazel eyes. She reached up to redo the tiny ponytail, it kept falling out of it since she had cut it short several months ago.

"_He better._" The head of white hair dropped back to his desk.

Ever since he'd appointed Natsuko as his Lieutenant two months ago, the piles of paperwork seemed to lessen. Possibly because Natsuko actually did her work, and did it well. However, that seemed all she did. Unlike his former Lieutenant, Natsuko was practically…boring. He never would tell her, but at times he missed having the chance to yell at Matsumoto as she lazed around. The upside was there was less paperwork and more free time.

Still, sometimes he would find himself searching for hidden bottles of sake or stacks of paperwork, expecting a drunken Rangiku on the couch or begging for another chance. Despite the chaos she caused him, Toshiro missed the strawberry blonde Lieutenant.

"_Sir, are you okay, you seem a little out of it?_" Natsuko blinked, confused.

"_If Mercer sends his usual message, I'm letting you take care of it._"

The first time Alex had sent in his monthly report, it was a little frayed as he was still practicing it. In fact, they'd gotten one every week for the first month until he learned how to use them properly. The three times after that, he'd sent more normal messages. Now, since there seemed to be nothing to do, Mercer took it upon himself to mess with both Toshiro and the Head Captain. More than once they'd felt the heat rise as Alex's particular message that month managed to infuriate him. Twice in the past three years he'd sent Hitsugaya to bring some sense to the virus.

He still sent them, but only to Toshiro now. They kept getting weirder and weirder, and on some they could almost hear him laughing as they listened. He probably was.

Natsuko's usually calm face contorted into disbelief.

"_Captain, you're really going to make me deal with him?_"

"_Yes, I'm tired of his antics._" Still the small Captain didn't lift his head. "_I think he reports for the sole purpose of making me irritated._"

"_He's had nothing to do, sir. In a way, I can kind of understand why he does it._"

"_I don't want him understood, I want him to stop! Ugh!_" In a childish act, he hit his head against the wood after yelling. He hardly ever yelled at her, there was hardly ever anything to yell at her about.

"_I'll finish up this last bit of paperwork, Captain. You should blow off some steam._"

"_I think I'll take you up on that offer._" Standing quickly, Toshiro whisked out of the office and outside.

It was winter again, and he breathed in the sharp, cold air. The cold settled his nerves, even Hyorinmaru hummed quietly in the cold, he'd had his own nerves frayed when Alex once spoke about him.

The sound of a bell and Toshiro quickly went back to a frustrated face, it had to be Alex's new message for this month. Sure enough the Hell Butterfly fluttered next to his head, waiting to relay whatever mischief Alex had for this month.

"_I really don't want to hear it, Mercer._" Toshiro sighed, but was about to reach up to accept the bug.

It latched onto his shoulder, which should have been the first warning flag.

"_Yo, Toshiro._" Alex's mocking voice sounded in his head.

'_A telepathic butterfly? But how…_' Toshiro looked stunned.

"_I sense you know the answer._" The smirk was so obvious in his voice.

"_Urahara._" Fists clenched together as he realized the eccentric shop keeper was also keeping in touch with the virus. Or rather, Alex was keeping in touch with him. '_Fine, report._'

"_Come on, I ask the weird blonde for this butterfly specifically to talk to you and you shrug me off._"

'_As a Captain I don't have time to chat._' Toshiro growled.

"_Then I'll be quick._"

Only barely listening, Toshiro heard Alex's report for the month. Basically, Hollows were deathly afraid of him and he was now a terror to them, humans still hated him and Blackwatch was on the search, as usual. In fact, nothing sounded different from the usual report. No strange Hollows, he still didn't need to consume people, and he seemed happy with his life of fighting.

"_Hey, Captain._" Alex's voice became somber.

The change in tone caught him off guard.

'_Yes?_'

"_Why do you protect humans?_"

The question was so surprising, he nearly choked on his breath and fumbled for an answer.

'_It…It's my duty as a Soul Reaper, and as Captain-_'

"_I get the whole job thing, but why? What's so special about humans that they need to be protected?_"

'_Humans can't defend themselves from Hollows._'

"_Yeah, so. Who says we should stop the Hollows? Humans are selfish and cruel._"

'_Everyone is in some way. Even in the Soul Society there is no 'knight in shining armor', we just protect the balance of souls. Hollows disrupt that balance, so we exterminate them and free the souls they consumed back into the cycle. If we didn't, this world would die._'

"_…I guess. Maybe I'm too used to the bastards I consumed on the island three years ago and I have yet to see humans prove their worth._"

'_If you want that, hang out with Kurosaki. He's proved himself time after time and has dramatically changed the way we run things because of his actions. Even if he's only a Substitute, our debt to him keeps getting bigger._'

"_That so? Maybe I will look him up. Well, that's my report. Guess I'll leave you alone for another month._"

'_Out of curiosity, what did you send the Head Captain?_'

Silence.

"_Hehe, you'll see._" The cocky tone was back and Toshiro felt the dread rise in his chest. Hyorinmaru rumbled dangerously across the link at the virus.

"_Mercer, I made you promise not to send him any more of your little pranks!_" Toshiro shouted, accidently out loud.

On the other end, the virus laughed at his misfortune and broke the link.

"_MERCER!_" The temperature dropped.

At the same time, the heat around the Squad One barracks rose dramatically and the poor Lieutenant was sent to fetch Hitsugaya. It seemed Alex would need to reform his promise.

Other than this occasional event with Mercer, it seemed the Soul Society had settled down. Yet, the conversation about whether humans were worth protecting put Toshiro at unease. He needed to reign him in again. He could do that today, knowing the Head Captain would send him out again.

"_He has to be so unpredictable._"

_**Fin**_

* * *

**So? What did ya'll think? Good? I'm wondering if i should do the sequel and center around Prototype 2, which is why i left it open for a sequel with Alex's questions about human worth. If you think i could, or should, lemme know, please?**

**Please Review!**


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